adminAuxilia Katongomara and Mpumelelo Nyoni Chronicle Reporters
THE three-day nationwide blitz by traffic police to get rid of pirate taxis ended on Saturday with over 100 vehicles being impounded in Bulawayo.
The owners of the vehicles are expected to appear in court this week.
The vehicles were taken to the Vehicle Inspection Department (VID) depot with the Honda Fit said to constitute three quarters of the pirate vehicles. Some of the pirate taxis impounded include the Toyota Ipsum, Toyota Vitz, Toyota Fun Cargo and Toyota Raum.
Officer Commanding Bulawayo Traffic, Chief Superintendent Maxwell Chikunguru confirmed the exercise. “I don’t have the details in terms of the numbers of impounded vehicles but I can confirm that we’ve launched a three-day nationwide operation against pirate taxis,” said Chief Spt Chikunguru.
Police sources said the exercise was meant to rid the country’s roads of unregistered pirate taxi operators.
“The operation is meant to stop errant pirate taxi operators who’ve decided to take the law into their own hands. They’re unregistered and they’ve been running over cops, showing disrespect for the rule of law,” said the police source.
The source said the pirate taxis had hijacked the transport business but were operating illegally and were a menace on the country’s roads.
“To them, pirating is cheaper because they aren’t paying tax to Zimra and passenger insurance. Whenever they’re arrested, they pay $20 fine, which is cheaper to them, compared to registering their cars,” the source added.
The sources said owners of illegal taxis will be taken to court after the exercise. “The vehicles won’t be released until the owners come forward as they’re the ones sending these unruly drivers on the road,” said the source.
Bulawayo United Public Transporters Association (Bupta) secretary-general Albert Ncube last week said registered operators paid more than $500 to operate every year.
“We pay $89 for route approval, $75 for the permit and $150 to Zimra and another $150 for passenger insurance, we also pay not less than $200 for fitness test. All this money goes to the government or local authorities to develop road infrastructure for all citizens. Pirates don’t pay anything but they get the lion’s share of the business,” said Ncube.
The operation came a few days after a kombi driver escaped death by a whisker when pirate taxi rank marshals attacked him for assisting Bulawayo City Council officials in apprehending unlicensed taxi drivers.
He was taken to Mpilo Hospital following the attack in which he fell unconscious for 30 minutes.
A fortnight ago, a Bulawayo police officer, Sergeant Godsave Chingwe died in hospital from head and chest injuries he sustained after a pirate taxi driver fleeing arrest dragged him with the door of his vehicle for about 100 metres before slamming him head-first onto the road.
derick.khumalo