Computerization of the Road Transport and Safety Agency

By Brenda Zulu

The current power deficit and the subsequent load shedding the country has been experiencing led to the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) regional stations nationwide to loose connectivity with the main station in Lusaka. This occured when the Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) configuration settings were erased due to a power surge when power was restored last month.

In a public notice made available to Computerworld Zambia, RTSA says they have resolved the problem by installing alternative connectivity using Fibre Optic solution through the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) and the Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) solution through the Zambia Telecommunication Company (ZAMTEL). Through the two solutions, most of the RTSA’s outlying stations have been reconnected to the main station in Lusaka, and computerization services have been restored.

RTSA has informed all motorists and other road users that where the computerized services for outlying stations have not been restored, manual services are being provided. RTSA has encouraged all motorists to stay current by having their motor vehicles and trailers examined and paying for their road tax licenses at any of the RTSA stations.

In an effort to avoid long queues and delays that are characteristic of the December panic-buying at the end of each year, the agency has extended the validity of computerized road tax licenses into 2009. The agency is encouraging road users to acquire road tax licenses for the year 2009.