ZwNews Chief Correspondent
The introduction of the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) buses by government onto the country’s roads, particularly in Harare, has caused disharmony among public transport operators.
ZUPCO has been brought back by the government to service short distance destinations; and while most have welcomed the move, others are crying foul.
The move has been necessitated by the recent increase in combi fares in response to fuel hikes by government, rendering transport costs unbeatable for many commuters.
Some operators are alleging ZUPCO is getting an unfair advantage in terms of fuel allocations, at subsidised prices from the Central Mechanical and Engineering Department, while they are forced to charge like fares. They are now threatening to pull out of the road in protest.
Apparently, to make matters worse some members of the security forces, the army in particular, are allegedly said to be mounting road blocks assaulting combi crews for not charging fares same as those being charged by the ZUPCO, despite them not getting subsidised fuel.
It is also being said that passengers are not being spared either, as they are assaulted for using combis instead of the buses provided for them but the government.
Jeremiah Masarirawe is one such traveller to witness the ordeal and believes the attacks on combi crews by soldiers could be political.
“These combi crews took part in the recent protests by not ferrying people to work, and I think because of that they are being beaten up.
“As I see it, a political hand is behind the beatings; it is pay back time,” he said mockingly.
Alternatively, others are of the opinion that blaming it all on the combi crews would be unfair, as a lot of businesses also participated by not opening for trading, as they fear being looted or set on fire by protesters. The security forces were also alleged to have had forced businesses to close.
Meanwhile, Passengers Association of Zimbabwe president Tafadzwa Goliati recently confirmed that his association received a report on passengers being harassed by the soldiers for using combis.
The commuters are being made to disembark by the army, and Goliati says such behaviour are uncalled for and should not be expected from anyone whatsoever.
Meanwhile, in a related matter, some long distant travellers (mainly cross borders) have also pressed the panic button, fearing shortage of transport to service long distance travels.
They say that most of the buses which have been turned into ZUPCOs are the same buses which were servicing some of the country’s long distance destinations, and by turning them into local operators would leave a void.
One former official at ZUPCO says by the time he left the passenger company in 2014, it had no fleet, with the few remaining now in private hands, hence the recent converting of private buses into ZUPCO.
Meanwhile, this publication could not get a comment from either the Ministry of Transport, or the Cross Border Association of Zimbabwe at the time of going to print.
zwnews
