Zupco fares up 100 percent

Vusumuzi Dube, Senior Reporter
THE Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco) has increased fares for urban routes by 100 percent.

According to the new fares, passengers will now pay $8 per trip for Zupco buses up from $4 while Zupco kombis are now charging $16 up from $8. The new fares became effective yesterday.

In an interview yesterday, Zupco chief executive officer Mr Everisto Madangwa said the new fares were to ensure the company improves service delivery as well as cushion its costs. He said high operational costs the company was incurring had also necessitated the fare increases.

“Yes, we have increased our fares by 100 percent, a move we felt is necessary for us to further improve our services to the public, further these new fares will enable us to cushion our costs which we incur as a company,” said Mr Madangwa.

According to the national lockdown regulations, Zupco registered buses and kombis are the only ones allowed to offer public transport in the urban areas.

Mr Madangwa assured the travelling public that their vehicles will be on the road in their numbers as they had adequate fuel to service their fleet. He also said the company was in the process of increasing its fleet by enticing more transport operators to join the Zupco franchise. The company has about 500 buses and kombis plying Bulawayo routes.