Online Reporter
Vusumuzi Dube, Deputy Radar Editor
ILLEGAL passenger pickup points have shifted and proliferated across Bulawayo’s Central Business District (CBD) following the closure of previous sites, creating a new wave of congestion and raising fresh safety concerns for commuters and other road users.
The development has exposed the difficulty the council faces in restoring order to the CBD’s public transport system, with operators reportedly relocating to alternative locations whenever illegal loading points are closed.\
The local authority recently introduced concrete barricades at former illegal ranks to compel commuter omnibus operators to utilise legal ranks such as the Egodini Bus Terminus.
However, according to the City of Bulawayo Town Planning Department’s Public Transport Policy update, contained in the latest council report, the proliferation of these new loading points is significantly contributing to congestion and compromising road safety.
“The closure of the illegal Sixth Avenue pick-up point yielded positive results; observations indicated that operators had shifted their activities to the corner of Basch Street and 6th Avenue, where an illegal passenger pick-up point had emerged,” the report states.
The department noted that the emergence of new loading points was undermining efforts to enforce designated public transport routes and facilities, with commuter omnibuses and other public service vehicles continuing to pick up and drop off passengers at unauthorised locations.
The council said it would intensify enforcement efforts to contain the spread of illegal loading points.
“The department will continue engagement with transport associations to improve compliance with Route Authority registration requirements, complete the installation of concrete barricades along Herbert Chitepo Street to eliminate illegal passenger pick-up points and intensify enforcement operations against illegal public transport operators and unauthorised loading points,” the report states.
The council report also identified declining vehicle registration compliance and route-cutting as other challenges affecting the city’s public transport system.
“It was also observed that vehicle registration compliance is declining, limiting the council’s ability to maintain an accurate database of operators and effectively regulate public transport services.
“Furthermore, route-cutting and informal passenger exchanges, particularly near schools, pose significant road safety risks,” the report reads.
Council revealed that it is working with transport associations, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), the Vehicle Inspection Department and community stakeholders to improve compliance.
The council also plans to enhance the use of updated operator registration data in route planning, monitoring, and enforcement.
Long-term relief is anticipated upon the completion and operationalisation of the Egodini Public Transport Terminus, which is intended to provide a formal, centralised facility for public transport operators and reduce pressure on CBD streets.
