Chronicle Editor
THE Central Vehicle Registry (CVR) will soon decentralise its operations to Bulawayo as part of efforts to decongest the Harare office, a Cabinet Minister said on Thursday.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona said this after touring the Ministry stand at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) where he saw hundreds of drivers queuing to access the new standard plastic driver’s licences that are linked to a database, that will replace the metal ones.
The Central Vehicle Registry (CVR), Roads Departments and Vehicle Inspection Department (VID) are some of the agencies that fall under the ministry.
“In line with President (Emmerson) Mnangagwa’s philosophy of leaving no place and no one behind, we are working tirelessly as a Ministry to ensure the driver’s licences are timeously issued out by establishing a second office here in Bulawayo,” said Mhona.
“Travelling long distances to acquire licences and other documents will be a thing of the past.”
He said the long queues at their stand were testimony that Zimbabweans have welcomed the Sadc-compliant drivers’ licences.
“One of the advantages of the new plastic licences is that they will be printed instantly and have security features that will make them difficult to forge, as well as being scannable so checks can immediately confirm the authenticity and reveal any legal issues,” he said.
Minister Mhona said all Zimbabweans who pass their driving tests during the ZITF period will be issued new plastic licences instantly.
He said the new Zimbabwean licence will be scannable and meet the international standards of Sadc, the Common Market for Eastern and
Southern Africa (Comesa) and the East African Community.
South Africa and some other countries in the region are already using the plastic licences, also known as plastic polymer licences.
Before the new system, those who passed the driving tests at VID depots throughout the country were issued a temporary paper licence with the metal licence coming out a few months later. — New Ziana
Online Reporter