Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Chronicle Reporter
ILLEGAL transporters have doubled fares to cash in on desperate commuters who break the law through travelling between cities in defiance of lockdown regulations
Government banned intercity travelling as part of efforts to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Commuters that need to travel across cities and towns have been forced to rely on pirate taxis and kombis. While intercity travelling has been banned, some people need to travel across cities for emergencies such as funerals, work, to seek medication, access to health care services among other reasons.
A snap survey has shown that some pirate kombis plying the Bulawayo-Harare route are now charging US$20 compared to the US$10 or US$12 fare which buses used to charge before the ban.
Commuters are now paying US$20 to travel from Bulawayo-Victoria Falls compared to US$10 which buses used to charge. Others have to board several vehicles in order to reach their destination when travelling long distances.
Ms Lillian Moyo said she had to fork out US$20 to travel from Bulawayo to Harare after she had been called for a job interview.
“I had to travel to Harare for a job interview and I had a really difficult time to get transport. A few cars passed and offered to give me a lift for US$20, at first I ignored them assuming that I would get a lower offer but I didn’t. I eventually boarded a pirate taxi which charged me US$20. We used to board buses for as little as US$10 to get to Harare but now transporters are taking advantage of the fact that there are no buses available and they are over charging us.
“There are some inevitable circumstances that force one to travel across cities. It’s really difficult for one to rule out intercity travel completely as there are some emergencies that can’t be ignored,” she said.
Mrs Mitchel Hove said she had to travel from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls last week as her mother was critically ill. She said she paid US$20.
Mrs Hove said she did not have an option as her mother was alone and she had to take care of her.
“My mother was critically ill to the extent that she was hospitalised for a week at Victoria Falls Hospital. At that time I was in Bulawayo and I didn’t visit her because of the ban on intercity travel. After she was discharged from hospital I had to go and look after her as she was alone. I had challenges in getting transport and the pirate taxi which I boarded charged me US$20.
“I hadn’t planned to travel to Victoria Falls but the situation which was beyond my control forced me,” she said.
Mr Douglas Dube, a student at the University of Zimbabwe said when they closed abruptly because of Covid-19 he had to travel from Harare to Bulawayo and he paid US$23. He said he had to board three different vehicles to get to Bulawayo. Mr Dube said the vehicles he boarded were constantly diverting the route and using the bush in order to evade the police.
“There was no transport readily available and I had to board a vehicle from Harare to Kwekwe and I was charged US$10. I boarded another vehicle from Kwekwe to Gweru and got charged US$5. From Gweru to Bulawayo the driver charged me US$8. It was a difficult experience,” he said.
The rural folk have not been spared from the predicament. Villagers now rely on Honda Fit, Fun Cargo, Toyota Wish vehicles and a few kombis that are operating illegally to get transport. Since their operations are illegal, transporters drop off passengers at the outskirts of towns to complete their journey on foot to evade police roadblocks.
The transporters only travel along main roads leaving villagers that stay in remote parts stranded.
Many people in the rural areas have to travel to the CBD to buy groceries, collect money from banks as well as to access other essential services such as health. — @DubeMatutu
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