Police descend on errant drivers

Temba Dube Senior Reporter
POLICE in Bulawayo have impounded 119 unroadworthy vehicles and arrested many unlicensed drivers in a blitz aimed at reducing frequency of accidents in the city.The city reportedly records an average of 11 traffic accidents, which are mainly non-fatal every week.

Commuters, especially from the western suburbs, were stranded yesterday morning as there was no transport following the crackdown.
Police, the Vehicle Inspection Department (VID), the Bulawayo City Council and ZBC are conducting the exercise, which started on Monday.

A breakdown of statistics from the clampdown shows that 65 private motorists had their vehicles clamped and impounded compared to 54 public service vehicles.

A total of six private motorists were found driving without licences and seven kombi drivers were also without valid licences.
All impounded kombis had valid registration while seven private vehicles were being driven without number plates.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo said police would not rest until vehicles that were a danger to passengers and other road users were removed from the city’s roads.

“This is not a special operation. It is an intensification of traffic monitoring in the city. On Monday we impounded eight kombis that had severe defects thereby putting the lives of passengers at risk. We also impounded eight private vehicles that did not have licence discs,” said Insp Moyo.

He said it was illegal to drive a car without number plates because such vehicles could not be identified if they were used to commit a crime.

“We are weeding out under age drivers of public service vehicles. A kombi driver should be at least 25 years old and should hold a class two or class one driver’s licence. After arresting such drivers, we make a follow up on kombi owners who hired them and charge them with employing unqualified people,” said Insp Moyo.

“Drivers who flout council by-laws are also being arrested. This includes both private and drivers of public service vehicles who park illegally or use undesignated points for picking and dropping passengers in the city. “There is no reason to lose a loved one because of accidents that are caused by human error or negligence,” said Insp Moyo

Yesterday scores of kombis were making U-turns just before the Nguboyenja fly-over and dropping passengers after refunding them.
Other kombis however made a killing by ferrying passengers from Mzilikazi Service Station to the city charging them R5 for a less than three-kilometre journey.

A driver said: “Police are stopping every vehicle at the flyover. Council officials are checking their database on a laptop and clamping every vehicle that has an outstanding traffic ticket. They demand that one makes full payment at the council Revenue Hall before they can release the vehicle. If one does not have money, the vehicle is towed to the council yard along 12th Avenue at the owner’s expense, where it accrues daily storage fees.”

Commuters who spoke to Chronicle fumed over the exercise.
“This is an unfair inconvenience to us because I was late for work by about two hours. There was no transport. I waited at the bus stop from 6.45AM to 9AM and I did not see a single kombi going to the city centre. Hundreds of people were stranded this morning,” said Moses Moyo of Gwabalanda.

Kombi drivers blamed the police for the increase of unroadworthy vehicles on the roads.
“The police are corrupt. They always take bribes to allow unlicenced drivers to use the road. When they stop us at roadblocks, they rarely check for defects on the vehicles.

“They just take bribes and let people drive through. If they try to solve this problem in one day, Bulawayo will be left without public transport. Most vehicles have serious defects,” said a driver who declined to be named.

However, National Professional Drivers Association Trust’s chief executive officer, Albert Sibanda laid the blame on drivers.
“Drivers fuel corruption by offering bribes to police. It has become a culture which should just be stopped.

They should not tempt the officers. If you know your vehicle has no defects, you have the right to demand to be served by an officer within five minutes,” said Sibanda.