TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO
Zimbabweans have mixed feelings about a new rule requiring prospective heavy vehicle license drivers to first obtain a class 4 license before upgrading it.
It comes after the government gazetted new regulations for the recently launched standard plastic driver’s licence under Statutory Instrument 119 of 2023.
In an interview, Zimbabwe Driving School Owners Association national Vice President Edwin Ndlovu said: “Some of us we are saying it’s in the right direction but obviously will be affected especially those who would want to obtain heavy vehicle licenses and drive for trucks. And again another negative aspect is that people are used to that Zimbabwe licenses do not expire.
“But these new regulations, one has to renew the licence after five years, especially for those that drive passenger service vehicles that will be retested. But those not driving passenger vehicles will have to renew without being tested,” he said.
The new Zimbabwean license will be scannable and conform to SADC, COMESA, and East African Community international standards.
Plastic licenses, also known as plastic polymer licenses, are already used in South Africa and a few other countries in the region.
The new regulations define the D driving licence code for larger buses, of more than 16 seats with the DE code when it pulls a trailer.
The D1 and D1E codes are for buses with more than eight passengers and no more than 16.
The new C and CE codes are for heavy trucks of over 7,500kg vehicle mass, with and without trailers, while the C1 and C1E codes are for trucks between 2300kg and 7500kg.
The B and BE codes are for light motor vehicles, under 2300kg, with B1 the code for quad bikes and tri bikes. The A codes are for motorbikes.
Tractor drivers now must use car licences.
A bus driver must now have held a vehicle licence for at least five years, and a truck licence for at least another five years, before they can even apply to take to the bus-driver tests
In a statement, Secretary for Transport and Infrastructural Development Ministry, Thedious Chinyanga, said it was mandatory to acquire a lower class before qualifying for higher classes.
“The recently published statutory Instrument 119 of 2023, Section 4 of the said regulations stipulated the process of applying and acquiring a drivers licence. It is now mandatory for every applicant to acquire and be a holder of Code B, BE (formerly class 4) before qualifying for higher classes in Codes C. CI. CE. CIE and D. DI, DE and DIE formally class two and one respectively,” he said.
“It is also permissible for Codes A, BI, AI and BE applicants to apply for these classes without being a holder of Code B, BE as long as they meet the statutory requirements pertaining to age.”
