BCC descending on motorists with outstanding tickets

THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) is descending on motorists with outstanding tickets for various traffic offences in the city using a newly computerised system to catch offenders anywhere within the city. Scores of motorists had their vehicles clamped and towed to the city council premises along 12th Avenue in recent weeks.

The move has sparked an outcry from motorists, some of whom have accumulated tickets of up to US$400.

Tickets for traffic offences range from US$4 to US$36.

The local authority used to compel motorists to pay for all tickets issued to them when they went to renew their vehicle licence discs at the Revenue Hall.

Since the renewal of the discs was moved to Zimpost, motorists have been absconding from making payments, prompting council to put in place the new measure.

The local authority's security crew is moving around Bulawayo with a laptop that contains a database with a list of registration plates for cars whose owners have neglected to pay fines for traffic offences that include failing to display parking discs in a disc zone and picking and dropping passengers at undesignated areas.

Once a defaulting vehicle is identified, the crew clamps it.

"My car was clamped in front of the Bulawayo Central Police Station on Thursday. I have to pay US$65 for towing expenses and US$20 for every day my kombi spends at the pound. They took my car because of US$480 that I owe in unpaid tickets. The council is demanding that I clear all these before I can get my car back. Where do they expect me to get all this money?" fumed a commuter omnibus driver.

When asked why he had let the tickets accumulate to US$400, he threatened violence and used unprintable obscenities.

Although drivers in the city who spoke to Chronicle admitted that they were wrong to avoid paying fines, they said the city council was being inhuman by demanding all that they owed.

"If you do something wrong, it is the law of the country that you should be punished. However, it should be noted that we do not avoid paying out of disrespect. It is difficult to part with money during these times of economic challenges. The city fathers should arrange for us to pay the money in instalments," said a driver whose car was towed over parking tickets worth US$88.

A council official said council was left with no choice but to implement the "seemingly harsh" measure, to bring sanity on the roads.

"We used to refuse to allow motorists to renew their vehicle licence discs before they cleared arrears on fines and tickets.

"Drivers are now taking advantage of the fact that they can pay at Zimpost without being vetted for outstanding tickets. Imagine the fine for failing to display a parking disc is only US$4. That of straddling lanes in a parking space is US$15 while picking and dropping of passengers at illegal points is US$36. If someone lets their tickets accumulate, it would be out of wilful disobedience of the law," said the official.

The official said it was becoming increasingly difficult to control motorists on the road because they felt they could get away with anything as long as they could speed away from municipal security guards.

The city's deputy Mayor, Councillor Amen Mpofu, said drivers had themselves to blame for having to pay large sums to get their vehicles released.

"The issue is very simple really. To avoid that, stick to the rules and you will become untouchable," said Clr Mpofu.