Zimbabwe police intensifies blitz on motorists

Law enforcement authorities in Zimbabwe, in collaboration with various stakeholders, have significantly escalated their efforts to target vehicles operating in violation of the law. These operations focus on apprehending drivers of unregistered and unlicensed vehicles, pirate taxis, and pirate kombis, as well as those committing traffic and parking violations.

Since the commencement of this operation last month, nearly 90,000 motorists have been arrested. Special attention is directed towards individuals engaging in reckless driving and parking offenses, particularly in urban areas where indiscipline has been prevalent in recent months.

The operation also encompasses vehicles with underpaid import duties. Key stakeholders participating in this crackdown to ensure vehicle owners adhere to legal requirements include the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, Vehicle Examination Department, the Insurance Council of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, as well as city and town councils.

Disregarding traffic laws had become a routine occurrence, especially in urban settings, prompting the launch of this blitz to encourage vehicle owners and drivers to adhere to the full spectrum of laws.

To recover their vehicles, motorists and operators are required to obtain all the necessary vehicle documents, enabling clearance by authorities like the Vehicle Theft Squad and the Vehicle Inspectorate Department, among others, including Zimra. Additionally, they must settle deposit fines related to the offenses they had committed.

Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, the national police spokesperson, emphasized that the operation will persist until compliance is achieved. He reported, "The ZRP reports that a total of 88,602 arrests have been made during the ongoing operation, Tame the Traffic Jungle. A total of 2,192 arrests were related to vehicles without route permits, while 26,874 arrests targeted illegal pirate taxis (mushikashika). There were 430 arrests for reckless driving, and 6,555 individuals arrested for touting. Furthermore, 1,742 vehicles were impounded for operating on the roads without registration plates."

Police expressed concern over the reckless behavior exhibited by pirate vehicles, mushikashika operators, and some registered kombis that pick up and drop off passengers at undesignated locations, consistently violating the country's laws.

Assistant Comm Nyathi also stated, "Licensed 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 ensure that the law is enforced without bias. Any vehicle operating on the roads without registration plates will be impounded, including those vehicles with temporary plates used for importation."

Furthermore, police are taking action against heavy vehicles traversing residential neighborhoods in towns and cities without adhering to designated routes, as stipulated by national regulations and local authority by-laws.

The operation will also target unroadworthy vehicles and public service vehicles lacking legal documents such as insurance, route authority, and certificates of fitness. Vehicle owners who leave broken-down vehicles on the road, obstructing traffic and using improper signaling methods like tree branches and stones instead of reflective triangles, will face consequences.

Police will also address illegal modifications to motor vehicles, such as the use of bar lights in violation of Statutory Instrument 129 of 2015 Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment, and Use) Regulations. Furthermore, farming equipment like tractors and combine harvesters driven on highways without adhering to relevant regulatory statutes will be subject to impoundment.