LORRAINE MUROMO
THE Zimbabwe Union of Drivers and Conductors (ZUDAC) have called upon government to allow compliant commuter omnibus operators to begin operating side by side with the Zimbabwe United Passengers Company (ZUPCO) which currently has a monopoly.
In an interview yesterday with Newsday, ZUDAC president Frederick Maguramhinga said government needs to lessen the public transport burden on ZUPCO by allowing other operators to take part.
“The Zupco solution is not enough, it does not help the whole country with regards to the transport problems being faced.
“As an entity, ZUPCO cannot host over 50 000 commuter omnibuses and over 200 000 staff members,” Maguramhinga said.
“The government is not wrong in calling for regulation in transport as people have for the longest time suffered at the hands of non-compliant operators.
“As operators we have groomed ourselves to be compliant service providers, and we will not accept to be labelled as rogue elements,” he said.
Maguramhinga added. “We are in the process of engaging the government to pave way for a more organised public transport system that is state controlled, but at the same time engaging the private compliant transport systems to take part.”
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
He said government must call for an inclusive stakeholder meeting, to ensure that the transport crisis in the country is urgently resolved.
“Zimbabwe is currently in a transport crisis, we are approaching the rainy season, and are also battling a pandemic.
“There is lack of social distancing in public transport and bringing back of regulated kombis will alleviate the transport situation.
“As schools are opening, we want government to reconsider organized transport associations to begin operating and give them the chance to do business by reducing the burden being shouldered by ZUPCO.”
Recently cases of robbery, rape and murder were reportedly on the increase, and Maguramhinga said easy access to transport might solve these problems.
“Lack of transport has exposed the public to be prey to robbers.
“There is also an increase in road accidents as people blindly embark on vehicles that do not have passenger insurance and do not guarantee their safety,” he said.
Maguramhinga stated that many kombi operators do not want to operate under the ZUPCO franchise.
“They say that it will be costly for their vehicles as spare parts are in US$ and yet the ZUPCO fares are subsidized,” he said.
