Maravi

‘Report cops impounding vehicles for expired tax’

‘Report cops impounding vehicles for expired tax’
By Mutale Kapekele
Mon 04 Jan. 2010, 04:00 CAT

POLICE officers who are impounding vehicles for expired road tax should be reported to their superiors for disregarding the 15-day grace period given to motorists, Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) principal public relations officer Mercy Khozi Mwila has said.

Mwila said the RTSA board had given a 15-day grace period for motorists to pay road taxes and urged the traffic police to respect that directive.

“The new deadline for paying road tax is the 14th of January,” she said. “So, all those whose vehicles have been impounded by the police for that offence should report the officers to their superiors because the RTSA board made it clear that that should not be done.”

Mwila said the grace period given to motorists was in the interest of road safety.

“We want to avoid panic because some people could cause accidents when running away from RTSA officers and the traffic police,” she said.

“So the extension is in the interest of road safety and we want to avoid panic and we also want to accommodate those who were unable to pay by December 31 2009. That is why our offices will be open up to 18 hours for the grace period.”

But an on-the-spot check yesterday revealed that traffic police officers from Woodlands, Emmasdale and Central police stations had mounted road blocks on Saturday and Sunday and were impounding vehicles, especially minibuses, with expired road tax.

Labels: MERCY KHOZI MWILA, POLICE CORRUPTION, RTSA, TAXATION

posted by MrK @ 9:34 AM