ZINARA cancels licensing disc deadline

The Zimbabwe National Road Administration Authority (ZINARA) has with immediate effect cancelled the vehicle licensing disc deadline which had been extended to the 30th of June and says motorists who have not complied risk having their vehicles impounded. Motorists who failed to licence their vehicles before the deadline and have up to now not yet acquired the discs will with immediate effect face arrest following the announcement by ZINARA that the deadline extension which was announced last week has been cancelled. ZINARA Communications Manager, Mr Augustine Moyo said the decision was made jointly with the ZRP Traffic Section after the realisation that motorists had fallen into their comfort zones and had forgotten about licensing their vehicles.
He said soon after the announcement of the deadline extension last week, the number of motorists who were buying their vehicle licence discs dwindled.
"People are not organised and we are taking the issue of licensing seriously. The deadline has been scrapped with immediate effect and anyone found on the wrong side of the law will be arrested," said Mr Moyo.
Mr Moyo has reiterated that the new vehicle licence discs are computerised, adding that ZINARA is working with the police to acquire machines which will be able to scan the barcodes and detect counterfeit discs. Meanwhile, motorists had no kind words for ZINARA, which they described as disorganised and confused. "ZINARA is playing with us. Why want to cause confusion amongst motorists? What we now believe is that they flip-flopped on licencing deadlines in order to trap us and then rake more from fines than just settle for licence fees," said Cosmas Moyo, a commuter omnibus operator from Harare's Glenview suburb.
"This is confusion of the worst kind. We are now wondering whether this ZINARA is operating in our best interest. An professional organisation will never do that as it will just stick to its proposed dates," said Clive Muzingi from Chitungwiza.
"They would rather shut up than to announce certain dates without making up their minds. We are not happy with how this ZINARA is changing goal posts," said another commuter omnibus operator, Joseph Mufundisi from Chitungwiza.
The initial deadline for compliance was the 31st of May, but ZINARA last week announced the extension of the deadline to the 30th of June, giving motorists a lifeline. However, with ZINARA making a last minute U-turn, motorists feel short changed and tricked into relaxing so that they can be caught on the wrong side of the law.