Yet to see if road traffic department would indeed impound these heavily tinted executive cars deliberately without registration plates

* The public notice is circulating on social media which the public observes has been issued countless of times yet the malpractice continues with impunity

* Most of the vehicles — especially heavily tinted executive cars — are used by state authorities such as ministers, other politicians and government officials as a disguise

By Duncan Mlanjira

The Directorate of Road Traffic & Safety Services (DRTSS) has issued a reminder to motorist that it would impound all vehicles operating on public roads without registration number plates or with unauthorised plates.

But will it? that’s the question being asked by the public on social media taking cognizance that the public roads are awash with such vehicles — most of them heavily tinted executive cars that are deliberately without registration plates.

The public notice is circulating on social media which the public observes has been issued countless of times yet the malpractice continues with impunity.

The public maintains that most of the vehicles — especially heavily tinted executive cars — are used by state authorities such as ministers, other politicians and government officials as a disguise.

The traffic police, including DRTSS officers let such vehicles through and from our sources within the Malawi Police Service, when these vehicle’s drivers approach a police checkpoint, they flash out their headlights as a signal they are carrying high-profile individual(s).

Our police source indicated that there is a special way of flashing the headlights which the police recognise as being a state official and thus they let them through — even if they had been over-speeding or not having a licence plate.

But according to the DRTSS in its public notice issued yesterday, December 19, it indicates that the DRTSS has noted “with concern the increasing practice by some motorists of using vehicles without registration number plates or using an unregistered vehicles”.

It quotes Section 11(2) of the Road Traffic Act, 1997 as stating: “No person shall operated on a public road any motor vehicle which is not registered and licenced”.

“Regulation 19(11) of the Road Traffic (Registration and Licencing) Regulations, 2000 requires the immediate affixing of registration plates on the vehicle upon registration”.

Failing to comply with these legal regulations is a punishable offence, reiterates the DRTSS, adding it is set to impound all unregistered vehicles operating without plates or with unauthorised plates and to appropriately fine the owners and operators.

But will the DRTSS and its law enforcement stakeholders, the Malawi Police, bite according to the law, without fear or favour knowing the main culprits are state authorities themselves?

During the state administration of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), it was common to see some vehicles attached with plates with the tags ‘Ana aDad’, some attached with scarfs or headscarves of DPP colours on rear view mirrors, which were not been stopped.

That stopped immediately the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) took over the government administration but of late, many cars without registration plates have scarfs or headscarves of MCP colours attached on rear view mirrors.

As the public says on social media, we are following.