Warning to motorists driving unroadworthy cars

If your car is impounded, you'll need to find alternative transport, warns the RTMC. File photo: Stephanie Oosthuizen / INLSA

If your car is impounded, you'll need to find alternative transport, warns the RTMC. File photo: Stephanie Oosthuizen / INLSA

Published Dec 30, 2016

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Durban – The Road Traffic Management Corporation has warned drivers and passengers travelling in unroadworthy cars that they would need to find alternative transport should their vehicles be impounded during the holiday season.

RTMC spokesman Simon Zwane said on Thursday traffic law enforcement officers had suspended 871 motor vehicles and impounded another 154 over the Christmas long weekend.

Since 1 December the licences of 5349 vehicles had been suspended and another 2133 vehicles had been impounded for serious safety-related issues, he added.

“Vehicles were discontinued or suspended for being unroadworthy and they may not be operated on public roads until all the identified defects have been fixed,” said Zwane.

“The act of discontinuing a motor vehicle involves the removal and destruction of its licence disc or roadworthy certificate disc and issuing a notice directing that the motor vehicle shall not be operated on a public road. The notice stipulates conditions under which such a vehicle may be operated on a public road.”

He said a vehicle must then be taken to a testing station to be examined and passed as roadworthy before it could be operated on a public road again.

“Impounded vehicles are to be kept at state-owned facilities until all conditions giving rise to their being impounded have been met,” he said. “Motorists are advised to avoid inconvenience by ensuring that their vehicles are in a roadworthy state before embarking on their journeys at the end of the holidays.”

“Windscreens must be free of major cracks and the car should not emit excessive smoke,” he added.

The Mercury

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