Bus and taxi drivers in Eastern Province have agreed to a proposal to start making contributions to NAPSA, the National Pensions Scheme Authority
This means that bus and taxi owners will not be allowed to register their vehicles with RTSA the Road Transport and Safety Agency, if they do not register their drivers with NAPSA.
This came to light during a consultative meeting held by RTSA and NAPSA yesterday in Chipata district where RTSA wanted to get the views of the drivers before signing the MoU, Memorandum of Understanding with NAPSA.
Speaking during the consultative meeting, RTSA Principle Licensing Officer Anthony Chewe said that social security for bus and taxi drivers is a law but many employers tend to ignore.
He explained that because of the informality of the transport sector in the country, most bus and taxi drivers are uncertain about their future earning and live life in fear of the day when they will no longer earn a living.
Mr. Chewe said that RTSA could not agree with NAPSA to sign the MoU without consulting the drivers on whether they were for the idea or not.
The Principle Licensing officer says that once drivers are socially secure, the drivers will start complying with traffic laws because they will know that they are socially secure and don’t have to break the law in order to make more money.