Chronicle Editor
Andile Tshuma, Chronicle Reporter
GOVERNMENT has promised to provide affordable transport to the commuting public during the festive season through the ZUPCO bus scheme at a time when many transport operators hike commuter fares, taking advantage of the holiday season.
Responding to questions in the National Assembly last week, the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Joel Biggie Matiza, said Government was sensitive to the plight of the commuting public.
He said Government had since put both rural and urban long distance buses under the ZUPCO scheme to ensure the public has safer reliable and affordable transport.
Minister Matiza was responding to Zanu-PF proportional representative member Cde Perseverance Zhou who raised the issue of high commuter fares, particularly during the festive season.
“The Government is sensitive to the plight of the passengers that it has put in place a programme of acquiring new buses that will ply urban and rural routes. Such a programme is in progress as witnessed in Bulawayo and Matabeleland South. These programmes are going to continue to make sure that we ease the plight of passengers,” said Minister Matiza.
The Zupco scheme has expanded with over 400 kombis and 500 buses across the country.
In a telephone interview recently, Zupco CEO Mr Everisto Madangwa said the scheme was aimed at providing travelling convenience during the festive season.
“At the moment we have 516 buses and 410 kombis under the scheme countrywide. We are working on reaching our 1000 kombi target and so far the progress made shows that we are heading there,” said Mr Madangwa.
“We aim to provide an uninterrupted commuter service during the festive season and affordable transport at a time when operators tend to hike fares drastically, prejudicing the travelling public. We are working on modalities to introduce a pre-booking system for intercity routes for the convenience of travellers so that we decongest the system of acquiring tickets prior to boarding”.
Zupco Southern Region manager Mr Tinei Rwasoka said the pilot project for the intercity pre-booking service will be rolled out within the next few weeks, well before the peak of the festive season, with buses plying the Bulawayo-Harare and Bulawayo-Victoria Falls routes earmarked to use it.
Zupco said it is making 500 000 journeys a day.
Its records show that 300 000 urban passengers a day benefit from conventional buses and 200 000 urban passengers a day make use of the ZUPCO kombi franchise.
Additionally, the bus company said it moves 100 000 passengers daily on its intercity routes, that is one-way trips between cities. — @andile_tshumas
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