Arron Nyamayaro
Herald Reporter
MOTORISTS who have received notifications of traffic violations on their mobile phones can now pay their fines electronically under the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s newly introduced Electronic Traffic Management System, easing congestion at selected police stations.
The development comes as the Harare Central Traffic section has in recent days been inundated with motorists intending to pay fines. Drivers interviewed indicated they were opting for Harare Central after failing to settle their fines at other designated stations, including Avondale, Chitungwiza, and Warren Park.
The electronic system provides an alternative, allowing motorists to make payments without physically visiting police stations. One motorist who managed to pay online, Mr Washington Gwanzura, explained how the system operates.
“When I received the notification, I tried to go and pay the fine physically, but the queues were very long, so I opted to pay online from the comfort of my office,” he said. “The online payment system gives you an option to pay in United States dollars or the ZiG equivalent at the prevailing bank rate. Payments can be made via EcoCash. Once payment was received, I got a message indicating that my fine has been cleared and another indicating the fine I had paid. I also checked the portal and it showed that my car no longer had any violations.”
Another motorist, Ms Nyasha Chanetsa, hailed the introduction of electronic payments, noting it would save drivers the time and inconvenience of travelling to police stations and waiting in queues.
“I tried the electronic payment system the whole day in vain, but yesterday I managed, and this is better now,” she said.
However, some motorists have raised concerns after receiving notifications for vehicles that do not belong to them. Motorists have appealed to the ZRP to ensure there are dedicated officers at designated police stations to deal specifically with queries and complaints regarding the fines.
Mr Pumula Tapoka, who received traffic violation notifications for three unfamiliar vehicles, said there appears to be no dedicated personnel to assist motorists with queries.
“When I received the notifications, I could not ignore them because they were coming to my phone,” he said. “I decided to go to Harare Central Police Station to have the issue rectified. When I got there, I joined a long queue, only to be referred to the Command Centre at the Criminal Investigation Department Headquarters. I am still to get proper assistance so that this issue can be resolved because I do not want to continue receiving notifications of violations for vehicles I do not know.”
The electronic payment system is expected to reduce congestion at police stations and make the settlement of traffic fines more convenient. The ZRP recently installed cameras at 20 points in Harare to monitor traffic movement and help detect criminal activities as part of wider efforts to improve road discipline and combat crime.
National police spokesperson, Commissioner Paul Nyathi, said the police would issue a formal statement on the electronic payment system soon.
“We are going to issue a statement about electronic payments anytime soon,” he said.
