Filthy, punctured tyre vehicles to be towed away

Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor
FILTHY vehicles and those with punctured tyres parked in a council parking bay in the Central Business District of Bulawayo, will be regarded as dirt and nuisance and will be towed away to a council compound, at the cost of the owner.

The local authority has an arrangement with their parking management system partner Tendy Three Investments, that is now responsible for the clamping and towing away of vehicles that violate city’s by-laws.

According to the amended City of Bulawayo Clamping and Tow-Away By-Laws, as contained in the latest council report, abandoned motor vehicle shells and wrecks, those with punctured tyres, parked in council bays or any council land unlicensed in terms of the Road Traffic Act (Chapter 13:11) shall be regarded as dirt and nuisance and removed immediately to a secure compound without notification at a cost to the owner.

“Motor vehicles in a dirty and filthy state, not displaying valid licence discs will be immediately removed from the road or any area under the jurisdiction of the city at a cost to the owner. Push carts shall not be allowed in the part of the central business area bounded by Third Avenue, Lobengula Street, 12th Avenue and Robert Mugabe Way, any violation will attract a Level One fine plus impounding costs,” reads the report.

The report also reads that council shall be indemnified against any damages that may occur in the opening by authorised persons of motor vehicles that will be subjected to towing and any motor vehicle whose owner or driver fail to pay before close of business shall be towed to a secure compound with or without owner’s consent.

A clamped vehicle shall also be towed away after two hours of the clamping with the owner having failed to pay the fine within those two hours.

The by-law further states that any accident, harm or injury to both the authorised person and impounded motor vehicle shall be the responsibility of the owner of the vehicle together with medical expenses that may occur thereto and the car might be sold by council at an auction in case the offender fails to take such a responsibility.

Where the motor vehicle is obstructing traffic, council may not clamp the vehicle first but shall immediately remove and tow away the motor vehicle to a secure compound.

“Council shall sell by public auction any vehicle that remains unclaimed thirty days after a notice has been published. Council shall deduct charges specified in the schedule from the proceeds of the sale of the motor vehicle and any balance shall be paid to the owner upon written request within thirty days from the date that such request is submitted. Council shall operate a special account into which money realised from the sale of unclaimed vehicles shall be deposited. Any money not claimed within one year after the sale of the motor vehicle shall be forfeited to council,” reads the by-law.