Hundreds of Chitungwiza commuters were yesterday left stranded until about midday after commuter omnibus crews grounded their fleet in protest against the heavy police presence along the Harare-Chitungwiza Road.
The few kombis that continued operating were reportedly charging between $1 and $2 for a single trip to Harare. The kombi crews and their operators accused the traffic police of demanding large sums of “bribes”, thereby pushing them out of business.
Stranded commuters were seen shoving and jostling for the few available kombis plying the Harare route at Chigovanyika and Huruyadzo business centres in St Mary’s.
The situation only normalised around midday after police intervened and drove away touts, who were leading the protests and blocking kombis from picking up passengers from the area.
Harare provincial police spokesperson Chief Inspector James Sabau confirmed the disturbances and said five rank marshals had been arrested over the matter.
“Operators with unroadworthy vehicles were mobilising other operators to ground their fleet. When those with roadwothy vehicles did not comply, they sent a group of touts to block them, causing the confusion. Five (touts) have been arrested,” Sabau said.
Sabau urged kombi operators with unroadworthy public transport buses to either regularise their vehicle documents or pull out of the road.
A commuter, Chenjedzai Mutange, said the demonstrations had caused commuters a lot of inconvenience and urged police to arrest touts and rank marshals.
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This is not the first time that commuter omnibus operators have protested against the traffic police’s heavy-handedness.
Operators plying the Harare-Norton route early this year pulled off their commuter omnibuses in protest against increased traffic police roadblocks.
