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Oswell Moyo Chronicle Reporter
HUNDREDS of commuters in Bulawayo were yesterday left stranded after police in collaboration with Bulawayo City Council and the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration Authority (Zinara) launched a massive operation to weed out motorists flouting traffic regulations. Officer commanding Bulawayo Traffic Police Chief Superintendent Maxwell Chikunguru said the blitz, which began on Saturday, was meant to ensure that vehicle owners complied with the law.
“Police are arresting all motorists without proper documents. Vehicles which are not licensed will be impounded. Kombi owners and drivers without proper documents such as fitness test, route permit and third party insurance will also be arrested,” he said.
Chief Supt Chikunguru said his teams were stationed at routes leading to Central Business District (CBD).
A majority of kombi owners have decided to park their vehicles in protest against the blitz.
The few that remained on the road cashed in on the crisis by doubling fares to $1 per trip.
In western suburbs such as Pumula South, Old Pumula, Magwegwe, Mpopoma, Emganwini, Cowdray Park, Lobengula, Gwabalanda and Emakhandeni, commuters waited for hours without a single kombi passing on the road.
Thembinkosi Tshuma, a Pumula South resident, said she was saved by private car after waiting for close to two hours.
“At around 6.30AM I was at the bus stop and only managed to board a private car around 9AM. I was late for work together with many other people,” said Tshuma.
The operation, which started in Harare in June, has finally spread to Bulawayo.
An official from Zinara who declined to be named said the majority of vehicles were not paying Vehicle Registration and Licensing fees.
He said the fees ranged between $20 and $25 dollars every four months. “The vehicle registration and licensing Act stipulates that all vehicles must have a valid vehicle license disc at all times. Therefore we are impounding those that are defying the law,” said the official.
Bulawayo Public Transport Association (BUPTA) Secretary Albert Ncube welcomed the move but urged the police to embark on such operations after peak hours because they caused inconvenience to the public.
“Vehicles must be checked regularly but such checks should be done after peak hours. This causes a lot of inconvenience to workers, people visiting doctors and schoolchildren,” said Ncube.
David Ngwenya, a kombi operator, said it was impossible to adhere to all regulations considering the performance of the industry which has been hit by competition from pirate taxis.
“It’s very difficult to comply with all regulations considering that the industry is no longer performing due to pirate taxis.
“Every year, route approval costs $89, a route permit is $75, we pay $150 to Zimra, fork out passenger insurance of $150 and fitness test which will not be less than $200.
“After that we are expected to compete with pirate taxis that do not pay these monies,” said Ngwenya
In June, Zinara chief executive officer Frank Chitukutuku said there were over 170,000 unlicensed vehicles according to their database.
Online Reporter