* The operation mainly focused on vehicles used for passenger conveyance for business purposes, as most of them are prone to violating traffic regulations
* The vehicles were impounded for various offences, including wrong parking, driving uninsured motor vehicles, operating unregistered motor vehicles, driving without a valid licence, and other related offences
By Duncan Mlanjira
In a bid to enhance road safety during the forthcoming festive season, police in Mangochi, through the traffic section, have embarked on an intensive traffic enforcement exercise which has resulted in the impoundment of 19 motor vehicles for violating the Road Traffic Act.
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The operation was conducted on Monday, December 22, across all four major roads within Mangochi Township, targeting mainly commercial motor vehicles that were found breaching traffic regulations.
Most of the vehicles impounded are of the Toyota Sienta models, whose drivers flout traffic regulations, block other motorists’ access to the roads, dangerously overload their vehicles with passengers and goods they are tied up on the cars’ roofs.
A report by Mangochi Police public relations officer (PRO), lnspector Amina Tepani Daudi indicates that the joint exercise which was managed by lead traffic officer, Inspector Joseph Fransiku, who manned the four major roads to ensure compliance with road safety requirements by all road users.
“The operation mainly focused on vehicles used for passenger conveyance for business purposes, as most of them are prone to violating traffic regulations,” says Inspector Daudi in her reports.
“The 19 vehicles were impounded for various offences, including wrong parking, driving uninsured motor vehicles, operating unregistered motor vehicles, driving without a valid licence, and other related offences.
Daudi quoted statistics from the 2024 festive season, which indicate that Mangochi Police Station recorded zero road traffic accident, and thus they wish for the same positive outcome to be maintained this year.
The motorists will be fined in accordance with the nature of their offences, as provided for under the Road Traffic Act and Inspector Daudi emphasised that the traffic police in the district will continue with the operation.
Traffic officers will also target motor and pedal taxi cyclists (kabazas) as part of efforts to restore sanity on the roads in the lakeshore district — as the police have warn all motorists to strictly adhere to traffic regulations during this festive season and beyond to avoid accidents and loss of life.
On a recent trip for an assignment in Mangochi, Maravi Express observed that there is no sanity on the roads, as indeed the commercial Sientas flour traffic regulations willy nilly through wrong parking, sudden stops to pick up passengers.
Kabaza operators are even a huge nuisance and a danger to their passengers’ safety as they just join into main streets from junctions without waiting for oncoming vehicles.
The Bakili Muluzi Highway is wide enough but becomes narrow since pedal kabaza operators prefer to cycle abreast each other. And the majority don’t even use hand signals — and when this reporter yelled at one to signal, he retorted: “Njinga imakhala ndi signal (is a bicycle fitted with signal rights?”).
The bridge on Bakili Muluzi Highway connecting M’baluko was not designed to accommodate pedal cyclists but just pedestrians and the cyclist abreast each other forces one for patience and on high alert when there oncoming traffic, especially trucks.
A motorist, especially a visitor, has to be very alert as on a slow traffic flow, motorbike kabazas just overtake and immediately they veer in front of the vehicle.
While Mangochi Police pledge that they shall continue with the operation during this festive season and beyond to avoid accidents and loss of life, the District Council, and/or the Roads Authority, need to rehabilitate the road from M’baluko all the way to the border area of Chiponde as it is in very dilapidated state.
Driving along this road is a nightmare, especially up and down the meanders of the escarpment where, at almost every bend. there are potholes — where one suddenly encounters an approaching vehicle on their lane avoiding the craters.
After it rains, it is advisable to close the windows and use aircon — otherwise, the Sienta operators don’t seem to care of wear and tear of their vehicles as they hit the potholes at speed and splashes the muddy water at passing motorists.
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