Parliament to probe police, DRTSS ‘hijacked’ roles
The Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs has disclosed that it will summon officials from the Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services (DRTSS) and Malawi Police Service (MPS) to explain why they are allowing third parties to be imposing fines and collecting fees on issues to do with road use.
The probe comes at a time it has emerged that members of National Motorcycle Operators Union in Mzuzu City have been collecting fees amounting to K10,000 per head from those suspected of breaking road regulations.
On March 16 2023, Mzuzu union members collected K10,000 from a motorbike operator, identified as Zikani, for operating his motorcycle without a helmet.
However, speaking in an interview, Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs Chairperson Yusuf Nthenda said what the committee knows is that DRTSS and MPS are the only bodies mandated by the laws of Malawi to collect fines and issue government receipts to people that have broken traffic laws.
Nthenda also said DRTSS and MPS are the only institutions mandated by law to check if motorcycles and vehicles are roadworthy and penalise offenders.
“We will engage DRTSS and MPS officials to find out what is happening because we feel this is not right. We need to investigate the issue because we have seen the receipt that was issued,” Nthenda said.
Northern Region Police Public Relations Officer Maurice Chapola said “we are investigating the matter”.
Reports indicate that Northern Region Police headquarters officials summoned union members to clarify on the issue.
The union’s national vice chairperson Greatings Jere recently said the initiative is aimed at ensuring that the operators follow traffic regulations to prevent road accidents that are on the increase.
Meanwhile, Road Safety Alert Foundation (Rosaf) has condemned the Motorcycle Operators Union, accusing it of hijacking the work of police and DRTSS.
In a statement, signed by Rosaf Executive Director Joe Jere, it said the union has no legal backing to collect fines from road users.
National Motorcycle Operators Union has members across the country.
