Errant motorists risk dipping deeper in their pockets as the Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services has adjusted upwards penalties for road traffic offences alongside services.
Following publication of Road Traffic (Prescribed Offences and Penalties) (Amendment) Regulations of 2026 in the Malawi Government Gazette Supplement on May 8 2026, motorists found driving a motor vehicle without a driving licence or a professional driving permit will be fined K200 000, up from K10 000.
Drivers who fail to stop a vehicle or comply with directions required by a traffic law enforcement officer face K100 000 fine, an increase from K8 000.
The penalty for driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol above 0.2gramme in 210 litres of breath has gone up from K200 000 to K300 000 or imprisonment for three years.
On the other hand, motorists who fail to have a certificate of insurance in a motor vehicle will pay K100 000 for private vehicles while passenger service vehicles carrying between 16 and 32 passengers will attract a K500 000 penalty.
Other penalties include K500 000 for threatening or suggesting the use of violence against an authorised officer, K50 000 for operating a motor vehicle without a certificate of fitness or with an expired certificate of fitness and K500 000 for leaving a vehicle parked on a road for more than 72 hours.
For motorcycles, carrying excess passengers attracts a K20 000 fine while those riding without a helmet will pay a K30 000 fine.
Reacting to the adjustments, Minibus Owners Association of Malawi general secretary Coaxley Kamange said increasing road traffic fines could fuel corruption on the roads.
Truck Drivers Union vice-president Francis Mkandawire said the directorate should have consulted stakeholders on the new fines, arguing that the adjustment comes at a time the country’s road network remains in poor condition which affects drivers and vehicles.
In 2019, the directorate suspended implementation of revised penalties after a similar move in November 2017 when fines and penalties were adjusted 1 150 percent before being withdrawn.
