LATEST: Pirate kombis on the rise

Blessing Karubwa, Chronicle Reporter
PIRATE kombi operators in Bulawayo are violating lockdown measures as they continue operating illegally and overloading passengers.

Bulawayo police Inspector Abednico Ncube said the police are impounding the mshikashika kombis but more pop up.

“We have many mshikashika kombis that have been impounded, although we cannot round them up all at once. However, those who haven’t been arrested but are still operating are doing it illegally and we are still arresting them,” he said.

A pirate kombi operator who preferred anonymity said they are overloading so that by the time police arrest them, they would have made profit.

“We take in 19 passengers (instead 14) including the conductor however at times we take in 20 people by allowing two passengers to sit next to the driver on the front seat,” he said.

The operator said they have sanitisers in their vehicles.

“Every pirate kombi operating has got its own hand sanitizer, there is no kombi without a sanitizer,” he said.

A passenger who declined to be named said pirate kombi operators are charging $60 and at times $50 depending on how the passenger speaks with the conductor.