dyton mupawaenda
Crime Reporter
Police backed by other key stakeholders have intensified their operation targeting vehicles driven in breach of the law, including unregistered and unlicenced vehicles, pirate taxis and pirate kombis, and drivers committing traffic and parking offences.
So far, nearly 90 000 motorists have been arrested since the beginning of the operation last month.
Driving and parking offenders are also targeted under the special operation, particularly in urban centres where indiscipline has been rife in recent months.
The operation also targets vehicles whose import duty was underpaid.
Other stakeholders involved in the blitz aimed at ensuring that vehicle owners comply with the requirements of the law, include the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, Vehicle Examination Department, the Insurance Council of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, and city and town councils.
Flouting laws had become routine, particularly in urban areas and the blitz was launched to ensure vehicle owners and drivers comply with the requirements of the full range of laws.
Motorists and operators wanting their vehicles back have to obtain all the required vehicle documents to be able to be cleared by the Vehicle Theft Squad and the Vehicle Inspectorate Department, among others, including Zimra.
Then the motorist or owner has to pay the deposit fines for all the offences they were facing.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the operation was continuing until there was compliance.
“The ZRP reports that a total of 88 602 arrests have been effected during the on-going operation, Tame the Traffic Jungle. A total of 2 192 arrests have been made on vehicles without route permits while 26 874 arrests have been made on illegal pirate taxis (mushikashika). 430 motorists have been arrested for reckless driving, while 6 555 people have been arrested for touting. Meanwhile, 1 742 vehicles have been impounded for moving on the roads with no registration plates,” he said.
Police were also concerned with the reckless conduct by pirate vehicles, mushikashika and some registered kombis who are carrying passengers from undesignated points, while contravening the country’s laws with impunity.
Asst Comm Nyathi recently said: “Licenced public service vehicles are contributing to the chaos and congestion by loading and off-loading passengers at undesignated points and openly endangering the lives of the public through reckless conduct at controlled road intersections and traffic lights.
“Police will therefore ensure that the law takes its course without fear or favour. Any vehicle moving on the roads with no registration plates will be impounded.
“This includes those vehicles which have been imported and are moving with temporary plates.”
He said police had been assured by Central Vehicle Registry that they had adequate stock of number plates, therefore there was no excuse for motorists not to register vehicles within two weeks after import as stipulated under the Vehicle Registration and Licencing Act.
Police are also taking action on heavy vehicles which are criss-crossing residential suburbs in towns and cities while clearly disregarding the use of outlying designated routes as required by national regulations and local authority by-laws.
The operation will also account for unroadworthy vehicles and public service vehicles which do not have legal documents such as insurance, route authority and certificate of fitness. Vehicle owners who leave broken-down vehicles on the road while blocking traffic with some using tree branches and stones as warning signs instead of proper reflective triangles will not be spared.
Police would also take action against illegal fittings on motor vehicles, for example, bar lights used in violation of Statutory Instrument 129 of 2015 Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use) Regulations.
Farming equipment such as tractors and combine harvesters driven on highways disregarding relevant regulating statutes will also be impounded.
Online Reporter