The unit’s BDU activities planned for included the following:
a) Situation Analysis of the Aviation Industry
This study is a Business Development Unit project arising from a request by the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) for the services of ZIPAR to conduct a Situation Analysis of the Aviation Industry. This study is purposed to feed into the formulation of the nation’s Aviation Strategy as proposed in the National Transport Policy for 2018, in which the Government intends to turn Zambia into a regional hub of air transportation by 2026.
The study will consist of a desk review, an air passenger survey, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, a study tour to three countries in the region, and a validation workshop. All activities leading to the finalisation of the study are expected to be conducted within six months, that is during the first and second quarters (Q1-Q2) of 2019 and the final report submitted to the Client in the third quarter of 2019. The study will require the technical input of all members of the Transport and Infrastructure Development (TRANSPORT & INFRASTRUCTURE) Unit. For data collection and wherever necessary additional expertise will be outsourced. The study is estimated at ZMW 879, 700.00, to be entirely financed by the Client, MTC. The outputs of the assignment are progress reports and situation analysis of Zambia’s aviation industry, draft and final report to be submitted to MTC.
b) Feasibility Study and Proposed Solutions for Decongestion of Traffic in Lusaka City
The levels of traffic congestion in Lusaka city have become a major concern not only for the Government but all road users at large. Not only does traffic congestion increase travel time and hence reduces time spent working, it also increases the amount of fuel used by vehicles as well as the wear and tear on vehicles and roads. Responding to these concerns, the Government launched the Lusaka Decongestion Project (LDP) which aims to decongest the city by building and expanding roads, fly-over bridges and overpasses. However, the Government knows that reducing traffic congestion requires much more than just increasing road capacity, and thus has continued to search for additional solutions to traffic congestion. The Government through the Ministry of Transport and Communication has awarded a contract to the joint venture between ROM Transportation Engineering Limited and the Zambia Institute for Policy Analysis and Research (ZIPAR), together with sub-consultants ASCO Consulting, KOMVOS Consulting and Megasafe Wares & Logistics, to undertake a feasibility study of possible solutions for reducing traffic congestion in Lusaka City at an estimated cost of US$ 1,596,200. Total operations costs and fees to ZIPAR are estimated to be around US$ 219,214.
Embedded in the overall aim of identifying possible solutions for decongesting Lusaka City and assessing their feasibility, are specific objectives which the project will fulfill using a multifaceted approach. A mixture of desk reviews, key informant interviews, focus group discussion, surveys and impact assessments will be used to achieve these objectives. Traffic as well as trip and origin destination surveys will be conducted to ascertain the current traffic and urban transport situation in the city. Further, an environmental and social impact assessment will be carried out to examine the possible impact of the proposed solutions on the environment and society at large. A travel demand model will be developed and conceptual geometric designs created using appropriate software packages. The project is expected to run over a period of 52 weeks, approximately 1 year, beginning January 2019. The final report and geometric designs will be submitted to the client by end 2019.
Transport and Infrastructure Development Research Team:
Malindi Msoni-Chatora
John I. Mututwa