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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau
POLICE have distributed about 40 point -of -sale machines to some stations throughout the country in a bid to ease payment processes for cash-strapped motorists and offenders.

ZRP gets its revenue from traffic offenders (spot fines) and other offences paid for at the Charge Office.

In an interview yesterday, ZRP National Spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said 40 branches and traffic stations had to date received the POS machines adding that more were going be distributed with time.

Snr Asst Com Charamba said POS machines had been introduced in areas such as Masvingo, Bulawayo Central, Gwanda, Plumtree, Beitbridge, Victoria Falls, Hwange, Lupane, Kadoma, Rutenga Traffic Post, Gweru, Zvishavane, Kwekwe, Gokwe and the National Highway at Morris Depot.  “As the police we have been distributing card swipe machines or point of sale machines in Charge Offices and for our officers manning road blocks on our roads across the country.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police, in line with embracing plastic money and in response to calls from people, has launched a pilot project by introducing point of  sale machines (swipe machines) at some Traffic and Duty Uniform Branch stations throughout the country,” she said.

“We have been using a distribution list to ensure that we have the machines all over for the convenience of offenders who will be paying fines for offences committed either at the Charge Office or at road blocks. This is an ongoing process,” she said.

Snr Asst Com Charamba said people who are admitting to offences are free to use this facility for their convenience.

“More swipe machines will be introduced with time,” she said.

This reporter witnessed a motorist paying his spot fine using a POS machine at a road block near Stanely Primary School along the Gweru- Harare road.

The motorist, who identified himself as Mr Philip Johns from Bulawayo, commended the police for the POS saying it made life easier for cash-strapped motorists.

The police have joined other Government departments such as Immigration, Zimra, Zinara and the Judiciary Service Commission (JSC) that have embraced the use of plastic money by introducing POS machines.