Aspirants flock to Bulawayo VID depot

ASPIRING drivers have started flocking to the Vehicle Inspection Department (VID) depot in Bulawayo after it resumed operations on Saturday. Cabinet last Tuesday approved that the VID be reopened under strict adherence to Covid-19 prevention protocols.

Scores of aspiring drivers yesterday visited the Bulawayo depot for provisional driver's licence and road tests. A Chronicle news crew visited the depot and found a relatively long queue of aspiring drivers waiting to write the provisional driver's licence tests.

The news crew observed that only a few people were conducting road tests. Some of the aspiring drivers said they were excited that VID has finally opened as its reopening allows them to obtain drivers licences.

One of the aspiring drivers Ms Noxolo Mayuni from Magwegwe suburb said she was happy that the VID has reopened as its prolonged closure had stalled her plans.

"I had written a provisional driver's licence test last year in February so it expired during the lockdown period.

"When I initially wrote the test, it was going for $100 but now it's $1 000. So, I have to pay again to get a provisional driver's licence. I think it's not fair as we were affected by the lockdown which saw VID being closed for the better part of last year," said Ms Mayuni.

Another aspiring driver Mr Siphosethu Nkomo said it was his first time coming for a test but was worried about the time spent in the queue.

"We came around 7AM but it's now towards 11AM and we are yet to write the provisional driver's test. I don't know whether the queue is caused by the fact that they reopened yesterday. We shouldn't spend so much time in the queue. There is Covid-19 so it's not good for us to be held here for a long time as it results in people violating lockdown regulations. Most people are no longer properly wearing their masks and there is no social distancing," said Mr Nkomo.

He said he was hoping that after getting a driver's licence he could use it to search for employment as a driver. Another driving hopeful Ms Charity Moyo said Government should consider increasing the number of computers at the depot so that more people can take up the test.

"I think the computers are just too few here and this is what is delaying and resulting in long queues.

"We can complain about the service but as long as there are few computers there is nothing the workers can do to improve the service," said Ms Moyo.

Authorities at the VID Bulawayo depot said they could not comment on the reopening of their station as they are not cleared to do so.

Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona on Thursday told Senators that Government was alive to some of the challenges affecting the VID. He said his Ministry was addressing the issue of expired provisional driver's licences as he was aware that the VID is one of the Government's departments that was hard hit by the national lockdown.

"My Ministry is seized with the issue and it also came through the Association of Driving Schools, to say yes, this is a pandemic and it was not of our own making that we could not go for lessons, testing and so forth. So, we are seized with that matter," he said.