Wenslus Murape
Arron Nyamayaro
SOME Kombi drivers in Harare say they will continue with their inter-town routes beyond 60km on the technicality that the new limit introduced by Government affects those applying for new permits.
Government this week introduced restrictions on kombi movements, reducing route permits from the previous 120km radius to 60km and directing that they all be fitted with speed limiting and monitoring devices.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development said their new measures were informed by a comprehensive review of the previous radius-based restrictions for kombis.
The Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Felix Mhona, said the steps have been taken to mitigate against increasing road crashes which have claimed innocent lives while a number of passengers have been maimed.
Minister Mhona said the new position on route restrictions will affect new permit applications while those already operating will continue until the validity of their permits expires.
As such, a number of commuter omnibuses yesterday continued with their long routes on the basis that they are using old permits.
Uncertain of the new measures, one of the Kombi drivers had to put a red cloth on his vehicle and at the same time tout for passengers along Mazowe Road en-route to Mt Darwin.
The red cloth was meant to fool police officers along the way pretending he was hired to a funeral.
He refused to entertain H-Metro when confronted for comment.
“Haaa wangu tofa nenzara nenyaya yekuti imi murikuda nyaya here,” he said.
Another Kombi driver told H-Metro that his employer was yet to give him a new route permit saying the move is meant to affect their source of living.
“We agree on speed limits as a way of reducing accidents but the route limits have nothing to do with accidents.
“A number of long-distance buses have been involved in road traffic accidents besides Kombis.
“To us, this move is a big threat to our source of living,” he said.
Online Reporter