Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
CROSS-BORDER buses, which have turned a parking space along Fife Street in the city centre into an illegal pick up and drop point, have attracted illegal vending activities and touting resulting in congestion and chaotic scenes.
The buses park between Leopold Takawira Avenue and 6th Avenue, opposite Bulawayo Central Police Station.
The development has created congestion, making it difficult for pedestrians to walk on the pavements as the area now resembles a bus terminus.
The illegal parking of buses has attracted touts, vendors and pushcart operators.
Some businesses are said to have approached the Bulawayo City Council asking it to bring order to the place but council seems to be reluctant.
The daily commotion is happening in full glare of police officers who are just a stone’s throw away.
A Chronicle news crew yesterday observed police raiding some of the touts, pushcart operators and illegal vendors operating in the area.
However, as the cops moved from one place to the other, the vendors including pushcart operators returned to their work station.
Residents expressed concern over council’s failure to address the issue of the illegal bus rank.
They said if not addressed, the place is likely to be another established illegal rank just like the one at Leopold Takawira Avenue Extension opposite Centenary Park.
The area opposite Central Police Station has become an eyesore as vendors and touts are littering the place.
Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association coordinator Mr Emmanuel Ndlovu said congestion in the city is worrying.
He attributed the congestion to the delays by contractors engaged by BCC to redevelop Egodini Mall and Taxi Rank whose completion has stalled for years.
“Several deadlines have been set for the completion of Egodini and they are not being met. The congestion would be a thing of the past if council opens up a safe rank where the public can board buses,” he said.
Mr Ndlovu said chaos was not expected in front of a police station.
He urged council to deploy Tendy Three Investments (TTI) to bring sanity to the area.
Bulawayo deputy mayor councillor Mlandu Ncube said there is only one bus company Delta Coaches, which is designated to park opposite Central Police Station.
He said the council in partnership with TTI will deal with the buses that are operating illegally.
“We are aware that those buses are breaking the city’s by-laws. We have not approved any other bus company to operate from there, and soon we will be clamping those buses, which are violating our by-laws,” said Clr Ncube.
He however said the challenge is that the council does not have clamps for buses.
Clr Ncube said some of the buses are also blocking some parking bays. He said council has set aside a parking area for buses along George Silundika Street but some of them do not want to park there.
Bulawayo deputy police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said bus crews should comply with council’s by-laws.
“What we understand is that the buses were cleared by council to park in the area. We urge them to stick to the city’s regulations in terms of picking up and dropping passengers,” she said.
Asst Insp Msebele however said what is causing congestion is not buses but vendors and touts.
She said police will continue raiding the vendors, touts and pushcart operators.
“We are also saying that even those accompanying friends and relatives boarding or being dropped should not spend a lot of time at the place to avoid causing unnecessary congestion,” she said. – @nqotshili.
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