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Crime Reporter

Sixty-four truck drivers have been arrested countrywide for ferrying passengers in violation of transport and Covid-19 lockdown regulations.

This comes as police have expressed concern over the increase in the number of kombis and pirate taxis on the roads, again in violation of Covid-19 regulations.

Police have since deployed adequate manpower to arrest defiant motorists operating mostly in residential areas.

Some drivers are removing registration number plates, either for the purposes of committing criminal activities or ferrying passengers.

In an interview yesterday, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said they will not hesitate to impound vehicles violating the law.

“We are concerned over some commuter omnibus operators and pirate taxi drivers who are now operating in some suburbs in and around the city,” he said.

“We want to warn them that we will not hesitate to arrest them and impound their vehicles for the law to take its course.”

Asst Comm Nyathi said the arrest of the 64 drivers came as many travellers were using trucks to travel on inter-city routes in the absence of buses due to lockdown regulations.

Police said some of the truck drivers were found with border jumpers.

Truckers and other errant motorists are enjoying brisk business along major highways, charging exorbitant fares.

“We are, however, warning haulage truck and private vehicle drivers who are ferrying people between cities, within cities, and even some border jumpers, that it is a criminal offence,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.

“Besides being a criminal offence, this act poses a risk to the Government’s efforts to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Police checkpoints, roadblocks and patrols have been activated to account for such drivers. Transport companies are implored to take action against errant drivers.”

Asst Comm Nyathi said the traffic officers were patrolling the roads, checking driver’s licences as some were driving vehicles without proper documents.

Some unregistered vehicles had been impounded.

Meanwhile, police said 84 197 people have been arrested countrywide since March 30 for violating lockdown measures, with most of them paying deposit fines.

Most were arrested for failing to wear masks, liquor-related offences, violating the Road Traffic Act, unnecessary movements, illegal gatherings, opening businesses without the proper documentation and violating the Miscellaneous Offences Act.