Sidumisile Mabena
Rutendo Nyeve, [email protected]
THE City of Bulawayo has expressed its deepest condolences to the families of two vendors who lost their lives in a horrific accident along 6th Avenue on Wednesday night.
In an interview, Deputy Mayor, Councillor Edwin Ndlovu, who is on a working visit in Victoria Falls, said the calamity has sparked urgent enforcement for both vendors and transport operators to strictly use designated sites.
The accident occurred when a kombi driver, alleged to be under the influence of alcohol, ploughed into vendors selling their wares along the busy corridor, killing two individuals on the spot.
Deputy Mayor Ndlovu conveyed the city’s sorrow and a stern warning.
“We regret what happened at 6th Avenue yesterday, whereby a drunken public driver ran over vendors who were selling. It is very regrettable and we are sorry and we express our condolences to the families involved,” he said.
He emphasised that the tragedy underscores the dangers of flouting city bylaws.
“At the same time, we want to warn the drivers to use the designated pickup points and avoid using 6th Avenue. It is not a designated picking up point,” he said.
Councillor Ndlovu appealed to vendors to relocate to approved trading zones.
“Also, we want to encourage our vendors at the same time to also go and sell in designated places like Egodini, like Baktas and shun 6th Avenue, which is a haven of illegal transporters who are picking up passengers along there,” he said.
He described the area as a chaos of unregulated vehicles.
“We have got the mshikashikas, the Honda Fits, we have got the Kombis, which are picking up people there illegally and they rush to make sure that they get the clients at the same time not observing the dignity of life
“We are very, very much sorry for what transpired. We have directed the Department concerned to make sure that 6th Avenue is cleared with immediate effect,” he said.
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