Cops capitalize on vehicle licensing chaos

THE Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) yesterday failed to beat its deadline leaving motorists, especially commuter omnibus operators stranded with expired vehicle licence discs.

Although the electronic licensing system has in the past been characterised by chaos, with motorists thronging Zimpost branches countrywide, Zinara has often been adamant of extending the deadline forcing vehicle owners especially those in transport business to play cat and mouse with traffic cops.

Bulawayo24 has it on good authority that today traffic cops in Bulawayo mounted early roadblocks to pounce on kombis that failed to beat the deadline yesterday.

Impeccable sources within the police confided to Bulawayo24 several kombis were impounded this morning and taken to Drill Hall in Bulawayo where vehicle owners would be asked to pay $20 so that their vehicles are released.

Section 18 of the Vehicle Registration Act chapter 13/14 states that it is the responsibility of the owner of a vehicle to have it registered and licensed.

To recover an impounded vehicle one would have to have it licensed and then pay a fine of $20.

But transport operators allege the cops were now operating under deals releasing vehicles of those who would have bribed them.

A Bulawayo transport operators told Bulawayo24 news that his vehicle was impounded today and taken to Drill Hall and was later asked to pay a fine of $20 for vehicle collection.

"Today, as early as 5am traffic cops had already mounted road blocks targeting unlicensed vehicles. Impounded vehicles were taken to drill hall police where owners would be asked to bring new discs and before paying a fine of $20," said a source who spoke strictly on condition of anonymity for fear of being reprimanded.

Cunning kombi drivers, the source said, were bribing cops with $10 to be set free for driving vehicles without new discs.

The source added that most motorists yesterday failed to renew their vehicle licences as a result of Zinara's poor administration at Zimpost offices around the country.

"Yesterday l spent the whole day at Famona post office in Bulawayo trying to renew my disc but I failed because we were told that the system was offline," said the source.

Efforts to get a comment from both police and Zinara officials were fruitless until the article was published.