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Victor Maphosa Herald Reporter
Bus operators have intensified the fight to stop the spread of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic which has claimed nearly 2 000 lives in Zimbabwe.
Operators who ply intercity routes had previously stopped operations as Government was instituting urgent measures to curb the spread of the pandemic
However, as Government measures bear positive fruits and with lockdown measures being relaxed, long distance buses were given the green light to operate but under strict adherence to Covid-19 regulations, including sanitising all passengers before they get into the bus, checking their temperatures, fumigating the buses before loading passengers and making sure every passenger including bus crew are correctly wearing their face masks.
As soon as they started operating, the Zimbabwe Passenger Transporters Organisation (ZPTO) launched a Covid-19 awareness campaign targeting passengers, vendors and rank marshals.
They also educated their crews on how to implement all the measures.
The operators have vowed to support the Covid-19 fight through complete implementation of all regulations in place. The operators also agreed that every bus should have thermometers, sanitisers, and should be fumigated before it’s departure and upon arrival at the destination.
Following the ZPTO Covid-19 awareness launch, The Herald reporters working on a story on Covid-19 compliance by bus operators, boarded intercity buses to have an appreciation on compliance by vendors, rank marshals, passengers as well as bus crews.
First, The Herald team boarded Inter-Africa bus at Mbare main terminus.
Before the reporters boarded the bus, they were sanitised and their temperatures checked.
Inside the bus, this reporter observed that all the passengers were wearing their masks, but half of them were wearing them incorrectly.
To this, the conductor intervened and had to briefly demonstrate the correct wearing of masks.
The bus was hal- full when it took off from Mbare and had to pick more passengers at Mbudzi roundabout and the same procedures were done on all passengers boarding the bus.
Along the way to Masvingo, the conductor would constantly check on passengers if they were still wearing their masks.
Some had completely removed them. Others would not listen to the advice of the conductor who had to remind them that all those not wearing masks correctly would be left at the nearest police station.
“Vabereki, tambokuudzai kuti pfekai ma mask enyu zvakanaka. Wese asina kupfeka mask ndava kunonusiya pamapurisa. Bus rino harifambi nevanhu vasina kupfeka mask.
“Kana pane munhu paside pako asina kupfeka mask muudze kuti ngaapfeke,” he would periodically say.
Some passengers had supported the conductor and would also remind each other that Covid-19 is real.
The reporters were dropped in Masvingo and proceeded to Mutare.
The reporters waited at the pick and drop point near Metro Peech in Masvingo town where they observed as buses picked and dropped passengers.
All the buses including, ZUPCO, were religiously following Covid-19 regulations.
On the way to Mutare, and at every bus stop, the bus would pick up passengers after the crew was satisfied that they were properly masked up, the temperature was checked and the hands were sanitised.
At all police road blocks, officers would stop buses and request to see all the necessary equipment the crew is supposed to carry.
At a roadblock at Chimanimani turnoff along the Masvingo-Mutare highway, a police officer had to go an extra mile. After stopping the bus, he got inside after testing whether the temperature machine was working or not, and also after he was sanitised, he checked if all the passengers were correctly wearing their masks.
After checking and being satisfied, he took a few minutes to tell the passengers the advantages of complying with all the laid down Covid-19 prevention measures.
The Herald reporters completed their survey yesterday where they boarded a Trip Trans bus from Mutare to Harare.
As is now the habit, all the passengers were sanitised and their temperatures were checked.
The bus was fumigated before loading passengers and luggage.
The conductor would not even allow anyone who was not properly wearing a mask inside.
One of the passenger was turned away after she came without a mask.
The conductor would have none of it and advised her to buy a mask if she wanted to use their bus.
She tried her luck with other buses to no avail. Along the way, the Trip Trans crew would pick passengers after making sure they were sanitised and wearing face masks properly. They closely followed all the procedures all the way to Harare.
Though the ZPTO launched the awareness campaign recently, the programme should urgently be administered in all cities and towns.
The Herald observed that most vendors are not yet adjusting to the new normal where they are not allowed to sell their goods including food while inside buses
The bus crews ,especially in Masvingo and Mutare, would have a hard time telling all the vendors who would swarm every bus, that the werenot allowed inside. Some would become violent and want to get insides buses forcibly.
The Herald also observed that some pirate kombis, particularly those plying the Masvingo-Mutare route, are not adhering to all the lockdown measure, regardless of them operating illegally
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi urged that all bus operators to comply with all Covid-19 regulations, including the curfew measure.
“Long distant buses should operate within time frames set by the Government. They should comply. We have made it clear to officers manning roadblocks that they should arrest operators violating Covid-19 lockdown measures.
“Officers should also check if the buses have sanitisers and thermometers among other requirements.”
Online Reporter