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The move by the Bulawayo City Council to reverse its earlier decision to force kombi operators to join either Bulawayo Public Transport Association (Bupta) or Tshova Mubaiwa is commendable. Council had given kombi operators up to the end of last month to join either of the two organisations or risk having their route permits cancelled.
Many operators refused to join the two organisations as they felt the council’s decision was meant to benefit the two organisations that charge $45 membership fees. The operators said they should be allowed to form their own companies as opposed to forcing them to join either Bupta or Tshova Mubaiwa.
Following the public outcry from the operators, council recently reversed the decision to force the operators to join the two organisations and has invited new players to the transport industry. The acting Town Clerk, Sikhangele Zhou, said council resolved that the transport policy should be flexible enough to allow entry of other players that want to form transport companies.
The Bulawayo City Council in 2011 came up with a Public Transport Policy that bars individuals from providing public transport. Under the new policy only vehicles registered under a company would be allowed to provide public transport in the city. It was against this background that council resolved that operators should join either Bupta or Tshova Mubaiwa and gave operators up to the end of last month to comply or risk having their route permits cancelled.
Defending the new policy, the council’s public relations officer, Nesisa Mpofu said the policy was meant to benefit Bulawayo residents who use public transport. She said those against the policy did not want to operate in a controlled and organised environment that guaranteed the safety of the commuting public.
She said such operators enjoyed the prevailing chaos on the city’s roads which was partly to blame for the accidents being witnessed. “For many years the city like the rest of the country has had a chaotic and unsafe public transport system hence the decision by council to come up with this new policy,” said Mpofu.
We totally agree with Mpofu that we need a controlled and organised transport system that guarantees safety of residents that use public transport. The decision by council that only vehicles registered under companies should provide public transport in the city is a good move that deserves every resident’s support as it will bring sanity on our roads. We are however against forcing all operators to join either Bupta or Tshova Mubaiwa.
Those that do not want to join the two organisations should be free to form their own companies. At this juncture we want to commend the city council for being responsive to concerns raised by operators hence its decision to allow new players in the transport sector.
The council should however ensure that once the new companies are in place, no individual should be allowed to provide public transport. Pirate taxis should be removed from the city’s roads because they are largely to blame for the chaos being witnessed.
Online Reporter