HARARE City Council yesterday said it had taken over all commuter omnibus ranks and vowed to restore sanity by driving away touts in a joint operation involving municipal police and members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
Report by Moses Matenga, Staff Reporter
Council spokesperson Leslie Gwindi told journalists the combined operation was aimed at getting rid of touts and rank marshals who have been accused of stealing council revenue and terrorising passengers and kombi operators.
He said Operation Nguva Yakwana which started yesterday, was also targeting unregistered and unlicenced vehicles plying city routes and drivers who picked up passengers at undesignated points.
“We want to bring sanity in the city by attending to such issues that had become an eyesore. That is going to be unequivocal and there is no discussion around that,” Gwindi said.
“Anybody who does not live in accordance with the law will be dealt with. Close to two-thirds of kombis are unlicensed and unauthorised and in most cases they are not insured and put the lives of people at risk. We will not release any vehicles that do not meet these requirements.
“The operation will look at road service permits and those with no rank discs will be towed away together with those with no vehicle licences and route authorities.”
Gwindi said unroadworthy vehicles would be clamped and owners would have to pay $132 to have their vehicles back, including proof that they would have paid $20 fine to the police.
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He said council had 10 designated ranks located at Fourth Street, Charge Office, Market Square, Copacabana, Kwame Nkrumah Avenue/Mbuya Nehanda Street, Kwame Nkrumah Avenue/ Park Street, Rezende Street South, Chinhoyi Street and Mbuya Nehanda Street.
“We will be on the ground until we make sure sanity prevails. They will be problems, they will be clashes, but that will not stop the operation,” said Gwindi.
