Court fines 4 minibus drivers K120 000 each for exceeding capacity
The Nanyumbu Second Grade Magistrate Court in Machinga has slapped four minibus drivers with a K120,000 fine each for exceeding capacity of their respective motor vehicles.
The four Andrew Daudi (33), Felix Ofesi (25), Rajah Tambala (33) and Rabson Nyalugwe (35) were charged with an offence of Endangering Safety of Passengers which is Contrary to Section 277 of the Penal Code and they all pleaded guilty to the offence during a court appearance on Tuesday.
According to facts presented in court by Traffic Officer Sub-Inspector Martha Chigeda, all the incidents happened on 30th October 2017 along the Bakili Muluzi Highway Road.
Chigeda said instead of carrying 16 passengers, the drivers carried 19 passengers and some even reached 21 in their Toyota Hiace Minibuses with registrayion numbers DA1980, MHG4320, BU2704 and MHG4104 respectively.
All the minibuses were impounded and were kept at Ntaja Police Post because the four had already charged and paid spot fines but continued with their behaviour of exceeding passengers.
Based on these facts, State Prosecutor Cliss Kalawa asked the court to impose a heavy fine on the four saying such behaviour is increasing the number of accidents on the roads of Malawi.
And in mitigation, the four pleaded for forgiveness claiming they are all bread winners in their respective families.
But in his rulling, Second Grade Magistrate Maxwell Boaz gave them a deaf ear while concurring with the State Prosecutor that such behaviour is indeed resulting into road accidents.
He therefore fined each of them K120,000.00 each which they have all paid.
And in a related development, the same Nanyumbu Court has again fined two who were driving passengers vehicle for the similar offence.
The two Kenneth Frank (29) and Pichesi Phiri (28) have been slapped with a K100,000 fine each which they have also paid.
They were driving Toyota Sienta with registration number MC 6907 and KK512 respectively.
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