adminrank, which has now been declared illegal, for more than 15 years.
Marondera serves as a dormitory town for Harare with more than half of its 62 120 population working in the capital.
Irate commuters expressed their displeasure at the relocation of the rank.
What irked them most is that commuters from other satellite towns such as Norton and Chitungwiza were still using convenient ranks in Harare.
“How can the local authority suddenly declare the rank illegal after we’ve been using it for more than 15 years? It simply does not make sense,” said Mr Shelton Magwiro of Rusike in Marondera.
He said it was expensive to use the Mbare route as kombis would be charging US$4 to Marondera.
They were charging US$2 from Fourth Street to Marondera.
Another Marondera commuter Ms Jacqueline Mhondiwa said operators playing cat and mouse with municipality police at Fourth Street had hiked fares.
According to impeccable sources, the Marondera rank at Fourth Street was under the control of the so-called Mandimbandimba rank marshals, who have since disappeared following an operation to weed out touts from the city ranks last year.
“The rank marshals used to pay protection fees to some senior council officials and some corrupt police officers,” said a source who preferred anonymity.
Online Reporter