Five Driving Schools Deregistered For Breaching Safety Standards
The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) has deregistered five driving schools this year for various infractions, including safety violations, poor vehicle maintenance, and failure to adhere to safety protocols during lessons.
Lucy Kuwandira-Mapfumo, the TSCZ’s media and corporate communications officer, told The Sunday Mail that the deregistered schools were located in Harare, Mutare, and Masvingo. She said:
In Zimbabwe, we have 700 registered driving schools, with Harare having the highest number at 170.
So far, we have deregistered five driving schools, not only from Harare but also from Mutare and Masvingo.
Kuwandira-Mapfumo said that one of the key functions of the TSCZ is to register, regulate, and monitor driving schools to ensure they comply with legal standards. She added:
To achieve this, we conduct regular inspections and blitz operations to check for compliance.
Kuwandira-Mapfumo explained that ongoing inspections are designed to identify and penalise non-compliant driving schools, ensuring that learner drivers receive proper training.
She said schools failing to meet the required standards risk deregistration, and their learners will be disqualified from taking the Vehicle Inspectorate Department (VID) test.
This approach, she said, aims to promote road safety and ensure that safety practices are upheld at the grassroots level.
Some driving schools have been accused of accepting bribes to guarantee driver’s licenses, a practice that has contributed to the increase in road accidents. Said Kuwandira-Mapfumo:
Driving schools must renew their licences regularly and maintain the highest safety standards.
Those who fail to comply, whether due to negligence or financial difficulties, face serious consequences.
She also reiterated that non-compliant schools would be barred from having their learners tested at the VID, as the council will inform the department of their status.
However, Kuwandira-Mapfumo did not disclose the names of the five driving schools that had been deregistered.
More: The Sunday Mail
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