Chronicle Editor
Online Writer
A TOTAL of 1 173 vehicles have been impounded for moving on the roads with no registration plates since 12 September.
Police confirmed the development on X (Twitter) under the ongoing “Tame the Traffic Jungle operation.”
Cars without number plates have been used to commit crimes ranging from robbery, rape and kidnapping.
In February 2023, police in Bulawayo reported that crime involving unregistered motor vehicles declined by about 75 percent following a blitz that netted 24 355 people in three weeks.
Then, on average, 10 000 people were arrested per week and close to 1 400 per day. According to police, unregistered vehicles and those without number plates are also being used as getaway cars in the commission of dangerous crimes, that include armed robberies, murder, rape and kidnapping.
Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube: “On average, we were receiving four cases of robberies involving unregistered motor vehicles per week. But now we receive just one. During this operation we almost realised 75 percent reduction of similar crimes,” said Insp Ncube.
Insp Ncube urged members of the public not to board pirate taxis as this exposes them to rape, robbery and kidnapping.
When the operation was rolled out, motorists swarmed the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR) to register their cars and get number plates.
Some even complained that there was a shortage, prompting the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Felix Mhona to visit CVR offices.
As part of the Government’s intervention, permanent number plates are now available at Zimra border posts, so anyone importing a vehicle now buys the permanent plates as they clear their car through customs, meaning temporary plates will no longer be issued.
Since every vehicle now keeps the same plates for its Zimbabwean life regardless of how many times it is bought and sold, this means even commercial importers and clearing agents can buy the permanent plates at the same time that they pay import duty and subsequent owners simply have to pay the transfer taxes and register the ownership change.
All border posts, except Plumtree, are stocked with enough permanent number plates as the Government introduces a cocktail of measures to curb crime and make it as easy as possible for vehicle owners to pay taxes and duties and register their vehicles. Police said some motorists are using fake temporary vehicle number plates to avoid being arrested.
Online Reporter