Zupco hikes urban fares by 100pc

Nontobeko Mlotshwa, Sunday News Reporter
THE Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco) has increased fares for its urban routes by 100 percent.
According to the new fare structure, passengers will now pay $30 per trip for Zupco buses up from $16 while the parastatal’s kombis are now charging $60 up from $24.

The fare increase is with effect from tomorrow. In a statement, Secretary for Finance and Economic Development Mr George Guvamatanga said the fare increases were necessitated by constraint on revenues which had impacted on the day-to-day operations of the company.

There was, however, an outcry from passengers who felt that the new prices were too high and were going to push other things up as well.

“We were cushioned by the Zupco fares from the insensitivities of private commuter vehicles but the new fares are just not different from the ones we have been running away from. The illegal commuter vehicles are charging 10 rand or equivalent, how can Zupco fares be more than those of pirate kombis when they were introduced as a way of controlling ridiculous kombi fares that the country was facing,” said a passenger yesterday.

Another passenger Mr Khaliphani Ndlovu said the new Zupco fares were too high and a lot of people will not afford them since cash is scarce as banks were still giving people $1 000 per week and with this new development commuters will not be able to afford the fares.