Malawi vehicle population hits 250,000
The Department of Road Traffic and Safety Services says it is in the process of identifying suitable and well qualified private garages and motor vehicle dealers to take up the process of vehicle inspection for issuance of Certificate of Fitness.
Director of Road Traffic and Safety Services, Jacques Manong’a said this at Nyambadwe Ground in Ndirande on Sunday during this year’s Africa road safety day commemorations held under the theme: ‘Passengers, be responsible for your safety on the road’ aimed at raising awareness to all passengers in the country.
Manong’a said the Directorate of Road Traffic has realized that it cannot satisfy the ever increasing vehicle population alone noting the department is failing to meet the demands of clients.
“We realized that we alone cannot satisfy the ever increasing vehicle population. The department in total has four vehicles inspection stations stationed in Mzuzu, Zomba, Blantyre and Lilongwe.
“This is against an ever growing population of vehicles which currently is at least 250,000 vehicles. It is therefore apparent that our capacity is limited,” said Manong’a adding that the outsourcing of vehicle inspection to the private sector is also part and parcel of the Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services (DRTSS) strategy to improve road safety.
Manong’a said road traffic is still ensuring that Malawi should have well qualified and licensed drivers operating on roads who are driving well certified vehicles.
He pointed out that he is aware of complaints and queries from individuals who are not happy with the way the traffic department is regulating and instituting checks and balances in their line of work.
He said; “The media has been awash with complaints of drivers failing the aptitude test, the strict measures we have invoked for obtaining the driving licence as well as the procedures that are duly being followed in respect of all the services that we are mandated to provide to the people.
“All the operations that the Directorate is doing are for the greater good and for the safety of all Malawians. The Directorate as well as traffic police are mandated to regulate and enforce road traffic rules and regulations.
Meanwhile, the Directorate has launched National Road Safety Strategy (NRSS) for 2015-2020) that will act as a guide on how the Department of Road Traffic and Safety Services should work in the coming five years.
Mwati magalimoto mMalawi muno afika 250,000? Bodzatu ilo ndipo ngat ndi choncho ndekut ambiri ndiosaenda. Let us imagine kut out of 250,000 Blantyre & Lilongwe have 100,000 cars each and at any one time there are 30,000 cars on the road in either city. Those 30,000 cars will queue some 30,000x5metres=150km and that is from Lilongwe/Blantyre to Ntcheu. R u telling me tima traffic jam timaonati can sum up to that distance? I suspect this may be a summation of all cars that have ever been registered in this country.
Malawi must have the highest traffic police officers in the world they start as early as 6am even at midnight they are on the roads asking for triangle, please redeploy some traffic cops to CID office so crime can be brought down
We need bypass roads in BT. from machinjir to njuli, tarred. from ndirande to makhetha, from chigumula to soche, from shire Highlands hotel to bangwe, from chileka to lunzu tarred. imagine what this can do. And finally from chikwawa to mwanza. waoh. no nchalo trucks in town.
Malawians, we can do better
This cant be true. Everyone I know and their mother have got a vehicle. My own brother has over 20 vehicles. Nde mukuti 250000 basi? The number could be close to a million. Have you seen the traffic in LL. From CC to 18 roundabout, to Kamuzu central roundabout, the traffic going towards area 23…..it is insane.
a fisi a police traffic beware tizikipondani mwadala nsopano
Tazikambani zazelu tikufuna miseu ina muli lilongwe osakhala wa by pass wa JB uja kuchoka city cetre town kodi anduna simumachita manyazi mukapita maiko ena