THE Harare City Council has reportedly impounded over 1 000 commuter omnibuses for flouting traffic laws under the ongoing campaign to restore order and decongest the city.
FELUNA NLEYA STAFF REPORTER
The exercise, which was jointly launched last month by council and security forces, is meant to force kombi crews to use the new holding bay constructed along Coventry Road.
Council sources said although the first batch of kombis that was impounded last month had been released, many more had been caged with their crews arrested and charged with contravening city by-laws.
“Over 1 000 kombis have been impounded since the opening of the holding bay,” a source said.
“Some are already being released and owners are parting with at least $400 each for their kombi. Some will end up paying more because they already have defects and other offences which they will need to pay for before their kombi can be released.”
Council spokesperson Leslie Gwindi yesterday said he would issue a statement today.
“We will have our meeting tomorrow [today] morning, then we will have the figures. So you can then call us in the afternoon for the update,” Gwindi said.
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Besides paying the penalty fees, kombi operators have to pay storage fees ranging from $350-$1 000 in addition to regularising their operators’ licences and tax obligations.
In a statement recently, town clerk Tendai Mahachi said the local authority would continue to clamp down on kombis found parked or picking up passengers at undesignated points.
He said repeat offenders would have their operators’ permits cancelled.
Meanwhile, council said it had registered over 300 street vendors and allocated them vending slots in the central business district (CBD).
“The city is calling on vendors to take advantage of the one-month vendor registration exercise to submit their names at the registration centre situated at Trafalgar Court.”
The registration exercise, which began on August 22 and ends on September 20 2014, is part of measures introduced to restore sanity in the capital city.
The approved CBD vending sites are Fourth Street (flea market, fruits and vegetables and dried foods), Charge Office ZRP Flea Market, Charge Office Vegetable Market, Julius Nyerere/Kenneth Kaunda flea market, Market Square Flea Market, Speke/Cameron (Flea Market), George Silundika Flea Market (Sundays only), Park Street, Speke/Cameron, OK Cameron, and Chinhoyi/Samora Machel.
