09 Feb 2014

Driver training vehicles are required by law to be always in roadworthy condition

The principal public relations officer in the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ms Titi Nyadza tsaid in an interview that, “driver training cars are required by law to be always in a road worthy status, regulation 13 sub-regulation (6) of the Road Traffic Act stipulates that, a person presenting himself for a driving test shall provide, for that purpose, a motor vehicle in a good roadworthy condition.”

Her interview followed concerns raised by the public that some cars used by driving school instructors were not roadworthy and looked very old. Ms Nyadza explained that the law stipulated that driving school instructors should obtain an instructor certificate.

She pointed out that although some vehicles might look old, their assumption as the Ministry of Transport and Communications was that the vehicles were roadworthy. This was because the vehicles underwent roadworthy test every year when the instructors renewed their licenses.

She said, driving school vehicles sucha as any public transport would not qualify to undertake a road worthy test if they were in a bad condition. Ms Nyadza said the Department of Road Transport and Safety was responsible for the registration  and maintenance of driving schools and driving instructors’ data bank.

However she said a detailed regulatory tool was still underway saying, "regulations for driving schools and driving Instructors are still awaiting to be enacted as law. This document, if approved will ease enforcement and regulation problems and pave way for desired professional driver training standard,” she said. ENDS