The Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services has suspended implementation of the adjusted miscellaneous fees, prescribed offences and penalties until further notice, barely two days after the official announcement.
In a statement released Thursday, the directorate said it would maintain the prevailing Road Traffic (Miscellaneous Fees) and Road Traffic (Prescribed Offences and Penalties) (Amendment) Regulations, 2014 until such a time when the new fees would come into force.
“Reference is made to Road Traffic (Amendment) Regulations, 2017, notice No. 55 & 56; Road Traffic Act (Cap. 69. 01) Road Traffic (Miscellaneous Fees) and Road Traffic (Prescribed Offences and Penalties) (Amendment) Regulations, 2017 respectively and the earlier announcement of fees adjustment for Road Traffic Miscellaneous Fees and Road Traffic Prescribed Offences and Penalties effective November 13, 2017.
“The Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services wishes to notify the general public that Government has suspended implementation of the adjusted Miscellaneous Fees, Prescribed Offences and Penalties until further notice,” reads the statement.
Acting Director of Road Traffic and Safety Services, Fergus Gondwe on Wednesday during a press briefing said the adjustments to the prescribed offences and penalties follow the alarming fatalities and impact of the road accidents in 2017 as well as the past trend of tragedies.
“The Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services (DRTSS) in collaboration with Traffic Police met from June 23 to 25, 2017 to come up with workable interventions to reverse the escalating trends of these traffic accidents,” Gondwe was quoted as saying.
“The meeting identified gaps in the current road transport legislations and actions that should be looked at to address such challenges. It was also agreed that immediate actions should be done jointly to intensify awareness and traffic law enforcement across the country,” he added.
The adjustment on the Prescribed Offences and Penalties indicated that driving a vehicle without CoF would be K30,000 from K10,000, driving a vehicle without a driver’s licence or professional driving permit would be K100,000 from K10,000, dangerous overtaking to be punishable by a fine of K50,000 from K10,000, exceeding speed limit (speed trap) at K50,000 from K5,000 and demeaning traffic police officers authority punishable by K200,000 from K20,000.
