GOVT DRIVERS TO BE HIT HARDEST BY NEW LAWS

MBABANE – Bantshana Gwebu’s zero tolerance on the abuse of government vehicles will be resurrected in the event that the proposed Road Traffic Regulations Notice, 2017 are approved. 

The tendency of government officers using State vehicles to carry their own goods such as sand or maize will now come with a steep fine of E2 000.
Gwebu is the retired Senior Government Anti-Abuse Unit chief who was notorious for nabbing government vehicle abusers, no matter what the rank. 

The fines will not be any cheaper for civil servants who decide to use government vehicles on holidays and weekends, as they will also have to pay a E1 000 fine.
These fines are applicable to first time offenders and those who are found to have misused government vehicles in subsequent cases, will be taken straight to court.

It has been a norm that some senior government officers and drivers have been found to have misused heavy plant and in some instances, had cultivated their own fields or cleared roads to their private homes.
The fine for misusing heavy plant in any way has been set at E2 000.  
Also, the general misuse of any government vehicle and equipment in whatever manner will come with a penalty of E1 000.

Government drivers who are also keen on giving unauthorised passengers lifts that are more than five will have to part with another E1 000.
The use of the state vehicles before and after working hours without authority will set back the drivers of those particular vehicles E500.

In the schedule, 19 offences have been listed and people who knowingly use the government vehicles for non-work related purposes will be fined E1 500.
The regulations also want to ensure that the users of government vehicles ensure they are kept in a clean state.

If a driver fails to wash the car after use and as a result it is left in a dirty state they will be fined E100, while officers who decide to park the State owned vehicles at their places of abode stand to part with E200.  
On a different note, the regulations also prohibit people or pedestrians who use public roads for a race or a sponsored walk without permission.
They state that people who participate in such an activity stand to be fined E200.

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