By NCHIMUNYA MIYOBA
Some stakeholders in Kitwe have called on the Road Development Agency to consider putting up a temporal weigh bridge at the black mountain to avoid overloading of materials on trucks.
Speaking during the review meeting to discuss the continued spillage of copper ore on roads in the city, the stakeholders said the spillage on the roads is caused by overloading of the trucks transporting the raw materials.
The stakeholders said the spillage of materials have caused a danger to the community and motorists thereby causing wear and tear to the tyres.
Stakeholders lamented that despite various assurances by Chapamo processing minerals management that the issue of spillages will be worked on, nothing has done to date.
Speaking at the same meeting Kitwe Mayor Christopher Kang’ombe said the residents have continued to complain that they have been subjected to buying news tyres dues to the spillages on the roads.
Mr Kang’ombe said Chapamo Mineral Processing Ltd need to adhere to set guidelines for smooth operation of works at the black mountain.
Mr Kang’ombe emphasized that Chapamo Mineral Processing needs to reduce the number of buckets loaded on the tipper trucks to avoid over loading hence reducing the sipillages on the roads.
He noted that truck drivers have continued to use undesignated roots when ferrying the material posing a danger to the community as they are seen over speeding.
And Chapamo Mineral Processing Ltd Operations Manager Hebban Chibale said plans are underway to ensure that measures suggested by the government are adhere to.
Mr Chibale said measures to curb over speeding by drivers have been enforced such as deduction of their salaries to pay fines that have been charged.
He said the complaints from the members of public have been taken seriously by management as such they have engaged the Zambia Police to help them out with drivers who will be found contravening traffic rules.
Mr Chibale said the company is too small to start thinking about the weigh bridge as funds cannot allow.
He said that Chapamo only have 10 percent shares in the black mountain which can soon run out.
