Mavis Kasiya,
The Harare City Council last month issued a warning to inter-city bus operators to return to their designated ranks as they are causing chaos and congestion in the central business district.
During a Council meeting held in the capital Harare, Mayor Jacob Mafume said the chaos being caused by buses ranking in undesignated areas within the CBD.
During the 1927th Ordinary Council meeting, Mayor Jacob Mafume, there is chaos in the central business district due to the buses ranking in undesignated areas. Mayor Mafume assigned the Public Safety department to ensure that all the buses leaving the city are parked in their designated areas such as Mbare Musika.
During the Covid-19 pandemic the government partnered with Zimbabwe Passenger Company (ZUPCO) and other private owned buses to ease the transport challenges after the government had suspended private owned commuter omnibus operators to contain the spread of the pandemic.
“Inter-city buses are coming from Guruve, Bindura, Mt Darwin and other rural areas are ranking in the CBD, such as Rezende terminus. All inter city buses must go back to originally designated ranks such as Mbare Musika bus terminus. Public Safety department must ensure that intercity buses do not r going out of the city must not be parked there those ranks are for inner city travelling only. They came when ZUPCO had said it is now providing people with transport alone and it did franchise, now that it is operating with everyone it is time buses go back to their designated ranks” Mayor Mafume said.
Mayor Mafume also said Council operations and infrastructure development projects are being affected by the non-payment of rank discs by public transport operators. According to Council 450 out of 12 000 commuter omnibuses are paying, and this has an impact of revenue collection that can be used to improve the state of commuter omnibus termini
“Our records shows that only 450 commuter omnibus operators have paid yet here in Harare 12,000 commuter omnibuses operate so we cannot improve our ranks. We agreed with the transport operators that they should be paying for the rank as they enter the rank. The money collected should be used to improve those ranks,” Mayor Mafume said.
