Traffic directorate warns Malawi motorists of duplication of car registration plates
Following some revelation on social media that some cars are bearing same registration on their number plates on the roads of Malawi, the Directorate Road Traffic and Safety Service (DRTSS) has warnèd that this duplication is illegal.
DRTSS further asks such motorists to immediately surrender their registration plates and apply for new registration numbers.
This has come about after a controversial car chase crash this week involving a high profile corporate executive in which he was using a hired car and picture of the crashed car and the love story about it trended on social media.
Then an alert person posted another picture juxtaposed with the crashed hired car that indicated the two share the same registration number plates.
In reaction to this, another citizen also posted pictures of different cars also bearing same registration number plates.
In response following scathing negative remarks on social media, the DRTSS issued a press release, saying when they introduced the Malawi Traffic Information System (MalTIS) system upgrade in May 2015, it was a requirement for all vehicles registered in the old system to be migrated into the new system by 31st July, 2016.
“To that effect, the Directorate placed several press releases in print and electronic media about the deadline for motor vehicle migration into the new system. In this regard, all vehicles which were not migrated into the new system were deemed to have been written off and their registration numbers were assigned to other vehicles.
“The truth therefore is that all vehicles which are not migrated into the new system and those which bear illegal registration numbers plates do not meet other safety requirements such as certificate of fitness, road service permit and insurance as such they are not allowed to ply on any public road.”
DRTSS clarified that MalTIS system does not does not assign registration number to more than one motor vehicle which means that every registered vehicle is assigned a unique number of which the owner or title holder is authorized to purchase and fix on a vehicle as per road traffic laws and regulation.
“Accordingly, it is against the law to operate a motor vehicle on a public road which is not registered as per section 11(2) of the Road Traffic Act (1997).
“It is against this background that the Directorate would like to condemn this malpractice in strongest terms and urge all those whose vehicles have registration numbers that were not allocated to them by the Directorate to surrender their illegal registration plates at any DRTSS office for them to be procedurally allocated legal registration numbers.
“The Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services is seeking for assistance from the general public to inform or report any known motor vehicles which have been noticed bearing same registration number by calling the following numbers:
“4040 – Toll free number (for Airtel subscribers only)
Southern Region: 0995008495 & 0995008502
Eastern Region: 0995008509 & 0995008456
Central Region: 0995008482 & 0995008483
Northern Region: 0995008506 & 0995008459
“You can also report in person at any road traffic or police office or to any traffic law enforcement officer,” says the statement.
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What is happening in this country can never happen in other countries. People just putting numbers of their leaders, weddings just married replacing the actual number what if it is involved in an accident, will it be just married car? talk of duplication of numbers, people change numbers in their homes as if they are state security agents? Road traffic is quiet and noone cares because they participate in this chaaos or they fear everybody disregarding their job. You wonder if we have leadership in these institutions, you mean some politicians can manipulate the system like this?. What makes them… Read more »
THE RTDSS IS HARD ON POOR PEOPLE,PEOPLE WHO ARE HARD WORKING LEAVING THESE DPP THUGS.HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN ALL THESE VEHICLES BEARING -APM 2019 BOMA,DID ALL THESE PAY K543,000 @ YOUR OFFICE?AND ANA A CHEAP OR ANA ADAD?1st.FLASH THESE CARS AND WE’L TAKE YOU SERIOUS
Tionense mukuchotsa magalimoto a ma number plate olemba “Ana aDadi” ambirimbiri mmisewumu. Without any identification other details at all should they commit crimes in town
All those vehicles are hot cars RTDR officers have a hand in this
Let’s be honest here… the flashy cars are hot cars… its a syndicate.
Amangokhoma ma number plates basi.
Ma CoF and vehicle licence amapanga za fake…most rtd officials knows where.
ma certificate of fitness a magalimoto amachokera ku RTD konko why are you surprised with this development? RTD siidzatheka ziphuphu kawawa kumeneko
The system was changed in 2016, this is Mid 2018, what has been happening to vehicles whose COF expired but they never migrated to the so called Maltis??