Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Fredrick Mubanga
The Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) says with effect from 31st September 2018, it will not allow the importation of motor vehicles that do not have engine numbers.
RTSA Head of Public Relations Fredrick Mubanga tells QTV News that this follows an influx of newly imported motor vehicles into the country without engine numbers.
Mr. Mubanga says to facilitate registration of motor vehicles that were imported before this directive came into effect, the agency in consultation with all stakeholders resolved that INTERPOL will be investigating if indeed the vehicles in question came without an engine number and later provide a new one and record it in an improvised register.
He says further, the Agency and other stakeholders that included Zambia Police, Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS), Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) and Motor Dealers resolved that importers should stop buying second hand vehicles without engine numbers.
He adds that in this vein, ZABS has been asked to advise JEVIC and EEA, the contracting companies on pre-shipment inspection to inform motor vehicle suppliers of this development.
Mr. Mubanga states that in order to avoid inconveniencing importers that had already bought vehicles without engine numbers, INTERPOL will start allocating the seven digits as engine numbers to these motor vehicles and RTSA will be registering them as such.
The RTSA Head of Public Relations says this is only meant to clear the backlog and the grace period will be lifted after three months as INTERPOL, RTSA and ZABS would soon after stop allowing such vehicles into the country.