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Sunday Mail Reporters
The Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco) has offered buses to ferry students to boarding schools, as the first term commences this Tuesday.
This comes as a relief to most parents and guardians who are already burdened by exorbitant school fees and uniform prices.
Zupco acting chief executive officer Mr Everisto Madangwa confirmed the parastatal’s position adding that the company had enough buses to meet demand.
“We have enough buses for schools opening; just like we did during the festive season,” he said. “Schools which need transport should immediately come to our offices so that we can work out a plan to assist them.
“There should not be any fears about transport shortages in the schools opening week because all of our buses will be on the road.”
The schools opening is traditionally characterised by high transport demand as private transport operators opt for lucrative long-distance routes.
The period usually triggers an increase in transport fares. However, Mr Madangwa said Zupco had mobilised a franchise fleet of over 500 commuter omnibuses to meet demand for transport in urban areas.
The schools facility by Zupco is not entirely new as it existed in the 1980 to late 1990s when the parastatal was thriving.
The parastatal also used to run dedicated buses that transported pupils from various former Group A schools, from the Central Business District to residential areas.
Online Reporter