26 Mar 2019

Ministry of Transport and Communications allows for the use of left-hand drive vehicles in Botswana.

Minister Dorcas Makgato,  who was answering a question in Parliament recently, said even though there had been some registration of such vehicles, the ministry did not have the statistics on the number of cars that had been registered in Botswana in the past 20 years.

“This was because the registration and licensing system did not require the distinction whether the vehicle registered was a left-hand or right-hand driven,” she said.

Ms Makgato said there was no policy that covered registration of such vehicles, but noted that registration was guided by the Road Traffic Act, which she said was silent regarding the vehicle being a left-hand or right-hand drive. The minister further indicated that drivers acquired driving licenses locally or internally, adding that some members of the public acquired vehicles in foreign countries while studying or working there.

She said all local driving schools taught learners according to Botswana driving standards and driving patterns.

Traffic officers can neither charge the drivers of such vehicles nor remove the cars from the roads because the vehicles are properly registered and allowed to use the roads.  

The ministry also cannot withdraw the registration of the cars nor stop their importation as their use is not restricted by law,” she said. Boteti East MP Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe had asked how many left-hand driven vehicles were registered in the country in the past 20 years and which policy or law covered their registration.

Also, he had wanted to know where drivers acquired licenses to drive them and whether traffic officers could charge drivers of such vehicles and remove them from roads.

Mr Lelatisitswe had also asked the minister to state when the ministry would withdraw all registration books for such vehicles and not allow their importation into the country. Ends