adminbans Left-Hand-Drive vehicles and those over five-years-old.
They said they viewed the legal instrument as a way of “fixing road users” and said the ban did not value the interests of the public.
Transport, Communications and Infrastructure Development Minister Nicholas Goche is expected to appear before the same committee on Monday next week to give oral evidence on the proposed ban.
Government in September last year gazetted Statutory Instrument 154 of 2010 on Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use) whose effect was to ban Left-Hand-Drive vehicles and the importation of cars more than five-years-old.
Last month, Minister Goche cleared confusion over the deadliSne for importing the second-hand vehicles, saying the cut-off date is October 31 as stated in the statutory instrument gazetted early April, not June 30. The minister made it clear that no one would be barred from importing vehicles, which were five-years-old or more until consultations with relevant stakeholders were complete. Oasis Logistics managing director Mr
Brine Mugota accused the Ministry of Transport of not doing enough research before coming up with the regulations.
He said it was misplaced to think that accidents are caused by left hand vehicles. Mr Mugota said the Sadc protocol did not propose banning but phasing out. He said South Africa had phased out left-hand-drive vehicles.
“South Africa phased out, they did not ban. For South Africa, it makes sense because they have an industry to talk about compared to us. We can’t promote inefficiency.
“We cannot ban left-hand drive vehicles here and allow those from Malawi and Namibia to drive on our roads. With this kind of economy, we can’t import laws of the First World, we have to look at what is relevant for us,” he said. Mr Philip Ncube, a business consultant, said the law was not in the public interest. “To me this regulation means that anyone who doesn’t have US$25 000 should walk on foot. People are buying these second hand vehicles, which are over five years because they are affordable.
“There was a lot of confusion when the legislation was going to be effected and this saw many people rushing to import vehicles in order to beat the deadline. Someone is saying one can drive a 1950 model but cannot drive a 2003 model, how logical is that?”, queried Mr Ncube.
He said accidents could be reduced if police enforce traffic laws. Mr Ncube said it would have been possible to buy new vehicles if the financial system was supportive.
Mr Albert Mukonda, a taxi operator said: “We don’t afford new vehicles or those that are less than five-years-old, that is the reason why we buy second hand vehicles. Accidents are caused by poor driving and bad state of our roads.
“Those vehicles from Japan are not reconditioned, the mileage we see are genuine. In Japan when a new model comes into the market and one wants to buy it, they are told to dispose the old vehicle because they have parking problems.”
Mr Panganai Sithole, chairperson of Car Importers Association of Zimbabwe, said the regulation would render more than 30 000 people jobless, something that would have direct bearing on the economy. Another transporter, Mr Chris Goretsa said: “What scientific method was used to come up with five year threshold? Importing new vehicles will cost us an arm and a leg.
“We can have safety equipment in vehicles but legislating that will invite problems for us because the police would want to make a killing from the new legislation. The public will be abused by the police.” Stakeholders felt there was no incentive for public transporters complying with the law as police were pouncing on them with or without adequate papers. Mr Tafadzwa Dzumbunu, a car dealer said Zimbabwe had limited options in the local market, making the regulations untenable.
Online Reporter