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A day after people in some of Harare’s high-density areas reportedly threatened to take matters into their own hands and deal with overcharging transport crews, fares fell from as high as US$2 to 50 US cents/R5 per trip.
But, the bad news for commuters is that the association of public transporters has written to the Government seeking approval to charge US$1 for a trip that currently costs half that amount.
Harare residents’ anger at getting what they perceived as a raw deal from service providers had last week also explo-ded with people marching on Town House to protest the MDC-T-led municipality’s decision to slash maize crops planted by urban farmers within the city limits.
Yesterday, diesel supplies continued to improve and the cost per litre fell from US$1,40 to at most US$1,25.
However, some transporters pulled their kombis off the roads but this did not trigger any major crisis.
The Zimbabwe National Commuter Omnibus Operators Organisation said it did not sanction the fare increases and was awaiting Government’s response to its application for an upward review.
This could mean kombi crews had increased fares of their own volition, though the widespread occurrence of this over the past week makes it seem doubtful.
ZNCOOO chairman Mr Aaron Tapfuma said unilateral fare increases were spearheaded by unregistered operators.
“This is the action of fly-by-night operators who have seen an opportunity and are quick to effect fare increases to rip off commuters. Commuter fares are not gazetted but set in consultation with Government.
“As I speak, we have forwarded a proposal to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development for consideration.
“We will thus increase the fare after reaching an agreement with the ministry,” he said.
He said it was difficult to run a transport business in Zimbabwe as an operator had to pay US$1 to rank marshals per trip. This is after paying US$100 for rank use to council and US$10 for the crew’s welfare daily.
Other costs, apart from fuel, include miscellaneous expenses such as police and Vehicle Inspection Department fines and safe overnight parking fees in addition to vehicle maintenance costs.
“Acquiring a new vehicle is beyond our scope if there is no Government assistance. Imagine, a new 15-seater Hiace minibus costs US$45 000.”
As such, he said, they had asked Government to allow them to charge US$1 for a 50 USc/R5 trip so that they can make a “meaningful” profit.
Angry commuters yesterday said they had suffered enough and the Government must protect them from profiteering businesspeople.
Ominously for transporters, some called for people power to deal with the problem once and for all.
Ms Carol Mugove fumed: “We have gone too long with this and the only way out is to mobilise against them.
“The fares they are charging us are exorbitant. Fuel has only gone up by 20 percent and they are already effecting 100 percent increases.
“Fuel is going down, so why are we still being charged these fares?
“This is outright insensitivity to us the public.”
Mr Maxwell Mulauzi of Epworth said consumer organisations should stand up to protect the public.-The Herald
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