January 5, 2024.

The Road Development Agency (RDA) through the Research and Development Unit in collaboration with Ernkate Limited have launched a road safety Application (App) called the Road Safety Mobile Application (ROSMA) that is aimed at preventing among other vices road traffic accidents caused by vandalism of road signs on public roads.

The App developed with the accompanying tracking system is one of the new innovations that the Agency sought to explore in order to promote road safety and curb vandalism of road furniture. The public and motorists in particular are aware of the danger posed by absence of road signs on the highways which also affects their judgement while driving.

Statistics have shown that many accidents in Zambia are attributed to human error due to non-adherence to traffic rules and speed limits. The development of the ROSMA App is one of its kind that the Agency has taken keen interest in due to its numerous benefits to motorists and road safety enforcement Agencies. The ROSMA App is designed to enhance safety for motorists and travelers by:

• Alerting drivers on the speed limits of all mapped speed zones;
• Alerting drivers of accidents, features or defects on the road;
• Alerting drivers of all road signs ahead;
• Giving drivers speeding and over-taking warnings;
• Allowing the administrator to monitor road furniture such as signage in real time and notify law enforcement Agencies of any attempts to vandalise the same; and
• Allowing the general public to post pictures of any observed road defects such as potholes or vandalism of road signage for the attention of the Agency and Local Authorities. (Genuine posts of defects and vandalism will attract a token of appreciation).

Government through the RDA is desirous to explore the use of such innovations and technologies to reduce the cost of road construction and maintenance as well as reduction in road carnage.

The general public may wish to know that the App is now available for download on Play Store and Apple Store.

As the public may be aware, our sister Agency, the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) has just announced the reactivation of the speed cameras on public roads. This development has complimented RDA’s efforts to enhance road safety which is exhibited through the launch of the ROSMA App.