Online Reporter
The Herald
7 May 1985
HUNDREDS of Harare commuters yesterday found their bus terminus had been moved for the second time without warning in just 10 days and had to walk almost a kilometre to the new terminus.
The constant stream of people wanting to go home to Tafara, Mabvuku and Epworth last night were directed from the temporary terminus in Manica Road to Market Square by a uniformed inspector of Harare United Omnibus Company, they then had to find their buses in the chaos of the busy square.
For some years those wanting to go to the high density suburbs in the south-east of Harare have used a terminus on the corner of Kenneth Kaunda Avenue and Julius Nyerere Way.
Late on Friday April 26 it was announced that this terminus was to be closed the next day and the buses using it would be transferred to Market Square, the problems of road safety at the busy intersection forced the change, said the Ministry of Local Government and Town Planning.
Few people on Saturday heard about the change, which caused some confusion. But more was to follow. On Monday April 29 commuters to the south-east found their terminus was not at Market Square but in Manica road between First and Angwa streets.
For all of last week huge crowds gathered on the pavement causing problems for commuters, pedestrians and local businessmen the Yesterday.
Yesterday the terminus was moved again, to Market Square a kilometre to the west and even further from the commuter’s homes.
A Herald reporter at the site of the Manica Road terminus yesterday afternoon saw a steady stream of commuters coming up, only to be told by the inspector that the terminus had moved again. Many had to retrace their steps. Others kept on moving to the bus stops in Manica Road between Fourth and Fifth streets.
Lessons from today:
- The chaos described in this 1985 article is very familiar today, even if the actors have changed from buses to kombis. Kombis can set up anywhere they feel they can fetch more people. This has caused accidents; people being run down in pavements as kombis flea the police. From it, we can draw important lessons about urban transport, planning, and governance in a developing country.
- The bus terminus was moved three times in 10 days, often without warning. When authorities make decisions without proper planning, it is commuters, workers, students and the elderly who suffer. Systems must be people-centred, because most citizens rely on public transport daily.
- The changes may have had safety reasons, but few people knew about them in advance. Even good decisions fail when communication is poor. In 1985 it was poor coordination; today it is weak enforcement over kombi operators.
- History teaches us that unresolved planning problems resurface, just in different forms. Learning from past failures is crucial for development. Public transport is not just about vehicles it is about planning, communication, regulation, and respect for citizens’ daily lives.
