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that are already in the country will be allowed to run until their full economic lifespan is exhausted.
However, the deadline on used car imports over five-years-old remains October this year as consultations with other stakeholders continue.

A Statutory Instrument giving effect to the new concessions and variations will soon be brought into effect.
Transport, Communications and Infrastructural Development Minister Nicholas Goche said other requirements such as reflective triangles and fire extinguishers came into force with effect from this month.
Minister Goche said a decision would have been made by October this year on the proposed ban on importing vehicles that are more than five-years-old.

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The Minister disclosed this while giving oral evidence before a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport chaired by Kwekwe Central MP Mr Blessing Chebundo (MDC-T) on the import of Statutory Instrument 154 of 2010 that sought to ban Left-Hand-Drive vehicles among other cocktail of measures.
“On the implementation of SI 154, the effective date is July 1 2011. This operationalises the whole instrument in as far as the requirement to have fire extinguishers, breakdown reflective triangles, reflective material that enhances vision at night,” said Minister Go-che.

On Left-Hand-Drive vehicles and importation of vehicles over five-years-old, the Government had extended it to allow wider con-sultation following several complaints by the motoring public and other stakeholders.
The concession being made was also done considering the economic situation in the country, Minister Goche said.

The need to ban vehicles more than five-years-old, said the Minister, came as a result of serious concerns raised by the Ministry of Environment on the pollution of the air caused by such vehicles.
The policy was also in line with the Sadc policy of doing away with the vehicles. South Africa has already banned the use of such vehicles but allows Left-Hand-Drive trucks from other countries to use its public roads.

“On the left hand vehicles, this country is right hand driven and motor vehicles are right hand structured. Within Sadc, it has been agreed that we need to progressively reduce left hand vehicles by 2015.
“On reflection, it was agreed that it was no longer necessary to ban those that are already in the country,” said Minister Goche.

“Therefore we are not going to do anything on those that are already in the country, we are going to allow them to run their economic life until they are unroadworthy.”
Mr Chebundo had raised concerns on losses by some car dealers arising from the rush to beat the deadline only to be told that the deadline had been extended.

He said members of the public had been concerned by the apparent confusion on the effective date of the deadline as Minister Goche and his secretary Mr Patson Mbiriri seemed to be giving conflicting dates.
Mr Chebundo said it was difficult to link the occurrence of road accidents to Left-Hand-Drive vehicles.

Minister Goche said motorists should not complain over the short notice as, in his view, sufficient notice was given to accommodate those that had placed orders from suppliers.
He said there has never been confusion in his Ministry as Mr Mbiriri gave what appea-red to be conflicting position when he had just returned from abroad, unaware of the new ministry’s position.
There was need for the ministry to be proactive to protect human life from defective vehicles, unscrupulous drivers, some of whom had been using tree branches during breakdowns.

“I don’t see anybody who can quarrel on the need to have fire extinguishers and reflective triangles. Some motorists use branches and by the time you observe it, you are already within reach of the vehicle, in my view these are good regulations,” he said.

Minister Goche said many Sadc countries, were moving towards doing away with left hand vehicles.
“South Africa has already taken that decision, I know many people will say they did it to protect their industry but I don’t agree with that,” he said.
The Minister said while accidents were caused by other factors such as human error, left hand vehicles were also tot blame and had received police reports to that effect.

He castigated some members of the transport sector for claiming that they were not consulted when the regulations were gazetted.
The fact that one’s suggestion was not incorporated did not mean that there was no consultation, he said.
Asked what Government was doing to ease congestion and improve the public transport system, Minister Goche said there was need to capacitate those that were already in the industry so that they have vehicles with a higher carrying capacity.

He said there was also need to capacitate the railway infrastructure as most loads were now being ferried using road when ordinarily railway lines should have been used.