MOTORISTS and fleet owners whose deadline for paying motor vehicle and trailer licences (road tax) and road service licences was Tuesday have 18 more days in which to make the payments. RTSA head of public relations Fredrick Mubanga said in a statement yesterday that motorists, fleet owners and public service vehicle operators have been given an extension of up to January 20 to pay for all the licences.

“Effective Friday January 3, 2020, there will be no enforcement of the validity of the said documents until the stated grace period expires. The agency is giving the grace period to accommodate the licensing needs of all motorists and fleet owners,” he said. Mr Mubanga, however, said the extension does not include certificate of fitness and test certificates because the two relate to road worthiness of motor vehicles. He is hopeful that the public will utilise the grace period to comply with the law.

Mr Mubanga urged motorists to renew and pay for road tax and road service licences for this year in accordance with the Road Traffic Act number 11 of 2002. Earlier in an interview, Minister of Transport and Communications Mutotwe Kafwaya said he will announce details of the extension on Monday after consultations with various stakeholders.

“I intend to extend the deadline for paying road tax, and I will do it on Monday. I first need to just consult a few people. I am not yet in the office but this is a heads up. I will give a two-week grace period so that people can make payments,” he said. Last month, RTSA extended operating hours for some of its service centres from 08:00 hours to 19:00 hours to enable motorists to pay road tax. A taxi driver, Blessing Banda, who paid road tax at RTSA Premium House yesterday, said he found a lot of people queued up to make payments.

Mr Banda said extending the road tax payment period will enable motorists to make the payments without panic. He commended RTSA for working on its machines to ensure that people are served effectively. “There is a lot of panic among motorists following the announcement by RTSA that there will be no extension of the deadline. But it will be good for RTSA to extend the period for paying road tax,” he said. Commuters Rights Association of Zambia president Aaron Kamuti called for a mindset change among people regarding payments at the last minute. Mr Kamuti said people should avoid waiting for the last minute to pay road tax.

“We need to learn to comply with RTSA requirements to pay our dues on time. This also helps RTSA to plan for its services effectively. Payment of road tax, fitness and insurance is for people’s own safety and wellbeing. I just wonder why we always wait for the last minute. “Extending the period for paying road tax will be good for people.

I also received information that some RTSA centres were not operational some time in December, so some people could not pay for road tax,” he said. Meanwhile, Mr Kamuti has urged bus operators to consider adjusting bus fares next month following the increase in fuel pump prices. He said this will give people enough time to deal with other January expenses.