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“If they remain defiant, we will peg the fares and gazette them and those that charge more than the stipulated fares will be prosecuted”.
Mr Mbiriri said the police had powers to arrest those that flout other road regulations such as overloading, speeding and drunken driving.
“At the moment those operators that are overcharging passengers cannot be prosecuted because government has not pegged the fares,” he said.
A survey conducted by Chronicle yesterday revealed that transport operators were charging double or three times the normal fares for long distance trips.
A trip from Bulawayo to Harare costs $25 from the usual $12, while travelling from Bulawayo to Mutare costs between $30 and $35 instead of $15.
From Bulawayo to Nkayi, transport operators are now charging $15 up from the usual $5.
Transport operators are charging $30 for travelling from Bulawayo to Hwange instead of $12, while those travelling from Bulawayo to Gweru are forced to pay $12 instead of $5.
In separate interviews, travellers called on the Government to take action against unscrupulous operators who took advantage of high demand for transport to fleece them through increasing fares.
They said the fares charged by operators especially during public holidays were not affordable to the majority of travellers.
“I travelled from Bulawayo to Harare on Christmas Eve and I was made to pay $25 instead of the usual $12. I had no choice because it appeared all transport operators had agreed on the new fares,” said Mrs Mary Mugadza from Emganwini suburb.
She said she was appealing to the Government to intervene and protect the travelling public from greedy operators.
Mr Obert Mhizha from Makokoba, who travelled from Mutare to Bulawayo, said he paid $30 instead of the usual $15.
“I went to my rural home before the Christmas holidays and paid $15 but on my return journey I was surprised when the conductor asked for $30.
“I had a 50kg bag of maize with me but I decided to leave it behind when the conductor demanded $10 to transport it,” said Mr Mhizha.
He said it was unfortunate that transport operators seemed to be free to do as they pleased when it came to pegging fares.
“If travelling was a luxury, we would not be bothered by the fares charged by transport operators but most people depend on public transport to move from one place to the other for different reasons.
“I am appealing to the responsible ministry to seriously consider controlling fares to protect us from these transporters who are not bothered about our affordability especially during public holidays,” said Mr Mhizha.
The secretary-general for the Zimbabwe Passenger Association, Mr Paul Makhiwa said the issue of travellers paying high fares during public holidays was a problem that needed Government intervention.
“Every holiday, transport fares are hiked and travellers are robbed of their money in broad daylight. We have held several meetings with transport operators in a bid to stop this unscrupulous behaviour but travellers still complain every holiday,” said Mr Makhiwa.
He said Government should come up with stiff penalties for transport operators that took advantage of high demand for transport during public holidays.
Mr Makhiwa said those increasing fares should be punished just like other operators that flouted road regulations by, for example, speeding, overloading and drunken driving.
Sidumisile Mabena