The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) says it has started the inspection of driving schools across the country, starting with those in Harare, to ensure that they comply with set standards.
The inspection covers all requirements for registration which include NSSA registration, ZIMRA registration, learner’s liability insurance, general insurance, and availability of suitable offices.
There are about 700 driving schools registered with the TSCZ, with around half operating in Harare.
Speaking to The Herald on Friday, TSCZ managing director Munesu Munodawafa said they will not hesitate to withdraw licences from driving schools that are non-compliant. He said:
The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe has embarked on a blitz of inspecting driving school standards across Zimbabwe.
The exercise started in Harare on Monday and will cascade to other cities.
The blitz seeks to ensure compliance, as well as make sure that student drivers are well-trained and are not prejudiced by bogus and non-compliant driving schools.
This is part of our broader efforts to improve road safety on our roads. As we undertake the exercise, depending on the degree and nature of non-compliance, we are giving non-compliant driving schools limited timeframes in which to comply.
But, where we believe the level of non-compliance so warrants, we will not hesitate to withdraw operating certificates and deregister those that have serious deficiencies.
Munodawafa said that after the exercise, they were going to submit a list of driving schools that are in compliance with the set-out regulations to the Vehicle Inspection Department (VID). He added:
We believe what we are witnessing on our roads with regard to drivers disregarding traffic laws could be a reflection of laxity in the driver training programme itself.
We will therefore leave no stone unturned in our efforts to ensure total compliance with our registration requirements.
In view of the foregoing, this statement is issued to encourage driving schools throughout Zimbabwe to fully comply with their registration obligations.
We also wish to point out that while this is an initial phase, the exercise will be sustained and inspections will be carried out randomly at least quarterly.
For the avoidance of doubt, those driving schools that repeatedly fall short of requirements may not be allowed to renew their certificates of operation.