Illegal 6th Ave taxi rank remains operational weeks after accident

NEARLY two weeks after a commuter omnibus lost control and struck informal traders at Bulawayo’s illegal 6th Avenue taxi rank, killing two vendors and injuring several others, operations at the site have continued largely unchanged.

The commuter omnibuses are still loading and offloading passengers in defiance of city regulations.
The fatal accident occurred when the omnibus veered off the road and ploughed into traders who were operating at the roadside.

Two people died at the scene, while several others sustained injuries and were taken to hospital. The incident renewed long-standing concerns over the safety risks posed by illegal taxi ranks in the city’s Central Business District.

Despite the tragedy, there has been no visible escalation in enforcement by the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) to remove commuter omnibuses from 6th Avenue or compel them to use legally designated termini.

Kombis continue to line the road, competing for passengers amid pedestrian traffic and informal vending.

This continued use of the illegal rank persists even though the Egodini Bus Terminus, a legally recognised transport hub located a short distance away, has been partially opened for commuter omnibus operations.

While construction at Egodini is not yet complete, the city has designated a section for use by kombis. Transport operators, however, have largely declined to relocate there.

BCC has, to-date, not issued an official statement since the accident outlining measures to be taken or providing guidance to residents and motorists. The absence of a formal position has drawn criticism from some residents, who say the lack of communication has compounded uncertainty and risk.

Public comments on the matter have been limited to separate statements by the Mayor, Councillor David Coltart, and his deputy, Clr Edwin Ndlovu.

Clr Coltart described the accident as horrific and reiterated that commuter omnibuses were required to operate from designated taxi ranks.

“Regrettably this accident is a direct result of the lawlessness which currently prevails in this part of Bulawayo. Despite the valiant efforts of our municipal police, vendors are still operating in areas they should not be.

“The lawlessness currently prevailing in our City is unacceptable and urgent action is needed to restore law and order so that tragedies like the one which happened can be avoided,” said the mayor.

Clr Ndlovu, in a separate statement, emphasised the need for improved order and safety within the city’s transport system.

“At the same time, we want to warn the drivers to use the designated pickup points and avoid using 6th Avenue. It is not a designated picking up point,” he said.

“Also, we want to encourage our vendors at the same time to also go and sell in designated places like Egodini, like Baktas and shun 6th Avenue, which is a haven of illegal transporters who are picking up passengers along there.”

He described the area as a chaos of unregulated vehicles.

Neither statement constituted an official council resolution or policy announcement.
Debating during a full council meeting last Wednesday, the city’s councillors did not mince their words in calling for the need to enhance enforcement of the city’s by-laws to help fight off the recklessness and illegality that is prevailing along 6th Avenue.

The councillors called for the temporary closure of the road while the local authority looks for a solution.
Proportional representation Councillor Melisa Mabeza said the city’s by-laws needed to be properly enforced so that kombis are taken back to where they are supposed to operate from which is Egodini Bus Terminus.

“We must make sure we deal with this thing of kombis because we might lose more lives, today its two people, tomorrow it could be you. These two lives that we lost must drive us to make sure we enforce our by-laws full force, we can’t be always discussing things which we are not implementing.

“I actually believe we should have observed a moment of silence before the start of our meeting, in honour of those two lives that we lost, we also need to have a delegation from council that will go pay their respect to these families because part of that problem was caused by us because of lack of law enforcement, we need to make sure the kombis go back to Egodini,” said Clr Mabeza.

Ward Three Councillor, Mxolisi Mahlangu, who is a member of the Town Lands and Planning Committee, said during their deliberations it was agreed that the local authority will now fully implement its urban transport policy, which will see all kombis operating from their designated areas.

“On kombis, we have a transport policy and all players have signed Service Level Agreements, last week we discussed and we were very emphatic that we are going to fully implement the policy. We have agreed on how we are going to begin.

“I want to warn those space barons who have gone on to register certain transport organisations, being assisted by some of us, when they don’t even own a single kombi, their time is up.

“We are going to enforce the law and we are not going to spare anyone, so stand guided. I know some believe Bulawayo is a lawless city but we are going to start biting until those that want to promote illegality also bite us,” said Clr Mahlangu. — X: @vusadb.