BULAWAYO residents are bearing the brunt of a worsening public transport crisis characterised by widespread lawlessness, weak regulatory enforcement, and aggressive fare increases, according to the latest council report.
Deliberations from recent municipal meetings revealed that city councillors are raising the alarm over a total breakdown of order within the sector.
The city fathers warned that Bulawayo’s transport policy is being systematically undermined by illegal operators, poor regulation, and the direct exploitation of commuters.
Councillor Adrian Redani Moyo cautioned that the implementation of transport policies is being crippled by a lack of enforcement, noting that critical data regarding operators is currently missing.
Moyo suggested that the council's reports must include more comprehensive information regarding the fleet size of each public transport company, specifically "how many of those commuter Omnibuses were operational with all the required documents."
The minutes further reveal that enforcement within the central business district (CBD) is currently “lacking dismally.”
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This regulatory vacuum has allowed illegal pick-up and drop-off points to proliferate across the city.
Intercity and cross-border buses have begun illegally occupying urban parking bays, further congesting the city centre.
Amid these operational failures, councillor Suzan Sithole emphasised the urgent need for detailed operational statistics from transport companies to address concerns over arbitrary price gouging.
She pointed out a significant disparity between rising operating costs and the fares being charged to the public.
“Fuel prices in the country had gone up by USD0.30c but the public transport operators in the city had reviewed the fare from US$0.50c/R10 to $1," Sithole said, according to the minutes.
"This was a 100% increase and it was not called for.”
Residents are increasingly demanding the introduction of conventional buses, viewing them as a cheaper, more reliable, and more professional alternative to the current commuter omnibus (kombi) system.
The crisis is not merely financial but also social.
Councillor Greater Gumede echoed the frustrations of the public, stating that commuter omnibus crews are frequently failing to treat passengers with basic respect.
He said"residents were being subjected to harassment including the hiking of fares by 100% while fuel had only increased by US$0.30c."
The disorder has created a fertile environment for illegal private taxis, known locally as mshikashika or Honda Fits.
Councillor Lazarus Mphwade stressed that these illegal operators are taking advantage of the industry's instability.
“Those companies should have order and operate orderly,” Mphwade. “Once this was done all the illegal pick up and drop off points would be destroyed.”
In response to the chaos, councillor Mpumelelo Moyo has called for a formal review of the city’s public transport policy to tighten registration requirements.
He observed that "some public transport companies had very few vehicles" and urged the council to mandate a minimum fleet size as a prerequisite for licensing.
Councillor Ashton Mhlanga also sought clarity on service level agreements, arguing that councillors require access to the documents governing operators within their specific wards to ensure accountability.
Director of town planning Wisdom Siziba promised that more comprehensive data on fleet sizes and operations will be submitted.
He also indicated that transport operators would be engaged regarding the recent fare increases in conjunction with the Ministry of Transport.
Town clerk Christopher Dube acknowledged that while rising fuel costs—driven by the Middle East crisis—have pushed up global oil prices, the current fare hikes are placing an "unsustainable burden" on the community.
“This was very expensive to the commuting residents," Dube said. "This issue needed to be resolved amicably.”
The council committee heard that the city is battling widespread non-compliance and unregistered vehicles.
Public safety is also at risk due to poor lighting at major termini such as Egodini, which has become a hotspot for criminal activity.
To restore order, the council is now pushing for joint enforcement operations with the police, improved lighting infrastructure, and the exploration of "smart policing" technologies, including CCTV7.
However, councillors remain wary, warning that without firm enforcement and genuine accountability, Bulawayo’s transport system risks sliding further into total chaos.