Zebra Kiss, Rimbi Tours bus suspension is with immediate effect, Zim Govt

Rimbi Travel and Tours and Zebra Kiss bus companies have been banned from operating after videos of their reckless driving where shared online.

The government, on Thursday, suspended the operating licences for both companies with immediate effect barely 48 hours after the accident. Videos have also emerged of the two bus operators racing and blocking each other on highways.

The accident, which claimed the life of the Rimbi conductor and seriously injured seven others, was caught on video.

The Zimbabwe Government through the Ministry of Transport has since suspended the licences for both Zebra Kiss and Rimbi buses indefinitely.

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT, HON. F. T. MHONA (MP) ON THE SUSPENSION OF THE LICENCES FOR OPERATION OF ALL OMNIBUSES (BUSES) BY RIMBI TRAVEL AND TOURS (PVT) LTD AND TASHLLYT INVESTMENTS (PVT) LTD TRADING AS ZEBRA KISS

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development has noted with great concern the video circulating on social media, which captures the circumstances leading to the fatal Road Traffic Accident (RTA), that occurred on 17 January 2023 in Mutoko District along the Harare-Nyamapanda Highway. The video and circumstances of the accident, which have been verified, involves two passenger transport service vehicles of an omnibus type (commonly referred to as buses) belonging to Rimbi Travel and Tours(Pct) Ltd and Tashllyt Investments(Pct) Ltd trading as Zebra Kiss.

Pursuant to the fatal accident, which has so far claimed one life and caused serious injury of many passengers, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development and other actors in the ecosystem of road traffic management, including the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) and emergency health services has established the component of human error, prohibited by Sections 51, 52 and 53 of the Road Traffic Act [Chapter 73:111 as the principal cause of the accident. Sections 51, 52 and 53 of the Road Traffic Act prohibit driving without due care and attention or reasonable consideration for others, negligent or dangerous driving and reckless driving respectively, which violation is a breach of the terms and conditions of the two operators’ licenses issued for them to operate in Zimbabwe.

Informed by the foregoing violations and verified videographic circumstances, the Commissioner of Road Transport, after informing the two operators of his intention, and after the operators were given a reasonable opportunity to make representations on the matter in terms of Section 17 (2) of the Road Motor Transportation Act [Chapter 13:151, invoked provisions of Section 17 (1) (b) (i) of the same Act and suspended the licences of Rimbi Travel and Tours and Tashllyt Investments Trading as Zebra Kiss from operating all its omnibuses in all the routes as authorised by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development.

This suspension is with immediate effect pending corrective measures by the two operators to ensure that they are in a position to resume operations without breach of the terms and conditions under which their licenses are issued. Section 17 (1) (b) (i) of the Road Motor Transportation Act empowers the Commissioner of Road Transport to suspend the operator’s license where it appears that there is disregard of the terms and conditions of the licenses. I have directed that this provision be implemented dutifully, consistently and religiously going forward, with the view to weed out all errant operators from our roads.

In view of the incessant road fatalities being recorded on our roads, I have taken a bold stance to reduce road carnage as the Minister responsible for administering laws and regulations on road traffic and safety management. This is in line with targets contained in the National Development Strategy (NDS) 1 (2021-2025) which seeks to reduce road accidents and fatalities by a 25% margin per annum. Going forward, we shall build on this momentum of strict enforcement of road motor transportation and safety for the safety and well-being of the people.

I wish to remind and warn all Transport Operators, Associations, motorists and members of the public that the Ministry will take stern measures provided by our laws against those who wantonly and blatantly violate road traffic rules and regulations. The safety and security of all commuting public cannot be taken for granted. We will not hesitate to suspend and cancel licenses of operators who violate terms and conditions of such licenses, traffic rules and regulations. We urge all road traffic law enforcement agencies to be on high alert to enforce the road traffic laws and ensure that operators with suspended and cancelled licenses do not ply our roads.

HON. F. T. MHONA (MP) MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT