Vehicle owners with cloned number plates to face prosecution, warns road safety agency

The Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) has warned motor vehicle owners to refrain from using cloned number plates as they risk prosecution through the courts of law.

The Agency had reportedly noticed a rising number of motor vehicles on the roads with unauthorized cloned number plates not originally assigned to them.

In a statement issued on Friday, Agency’s Acting Head – Public Relations, Mukela Mangolwa, pointed to the Road Traffic Act No. 11 of 2002 section 29 (2) to indicate the illegality of the issue.

“A person who knowingly drives or is in charge or control of motor vehicle which bears a false registration mark commits an offence and is liable, upon conviction, to a fine not exceeding two hundred thousand penalty units or to imprisonment not exceeding five years and in case of a second subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding five hundred penalty units or imprisonment for a period not exceeding ten years, or both,” he quoted the Act.

Mangolwa also emphasized that RTSA would intensify its enforcement operations concerning this infringement as it was not only an offence but also undermined the integrity of the motor vehicle registration system.

“The Agency would, therefore, like to urge motor vehicle owners, Public Service Vehicle (PSV) operators and number plate embossers to comply with the established regulations governing number plate manufacturing and usage,” he said.

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