House committee asks CoF centres to improve
Parliament’s Transport and Public Works Committee has given Toyota Malawi and Motor Service Centre in Blantyre three months to improve facilities or risk losing motor vehicle certificate of fitness (CoF) issuance licences.
The committee made the recommendation in Blantyre on Wednesday after inspecting three private vehicle inspection stations the Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services (DRTSS) subcontracted to be issuing CoFs to ease congestion at its centres.
In an interview after the inspection, committee chairperson Victor White Mbewe said Toyota Malawi and Motor Service Centre facilities needed an improvement.
He said: “They [Toyota Malawi and Motor Service Centre] don’t have enough equipment. I would want to make some high recommendations to Toyota Malawi and Motor Service Centre to improve within the next three months, failing which we will close these centres.”
However, Mbewe commended Blantyre Motor Vehicle Inspection Centre at Kameza for having a facility of international standards.
The committee also observed the need for DRTSS to introduce audio tests to accommodate the illiterate.
The committee, however, commended DRTSS for the efforts to ease congestion, including subcontracting CoF services to private operators.
In an interview on the sidelines of the tour, DRTSS deputy director of safety Annie Kandoje said the engagement of private companies in Blantyre was yet to achieve the objective of reducing congestion at the directorate. She attributed the situation to poor marketing by the private companies.
Commenting on the introduction of audio-visual test to accommodate people who cannot read and write, Kandoje said the directorate cannot rule out the possibility of introducing the audio/ visual test, saying the directorate is still upgrading its system.
The issuing of certificates to private companies to issue CoFs is part of the public service reforms to improve service delivery in government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). n
