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POLICE in Bulawayo should be commended for their operation targeting long-distance buses using illegal pick-up points to restore sanity on the city’s roads that have been characterised by chaos.

The police are impounding the offending vehicles and arresting both drivers and passengers.

The operation started last Wednesday and the following morning, police officers were involved in running battles with long-distance buses who load passengers at undesignated spots.

It is hoped that the operation will achieve the desired results as the long-distance buses disturb traffic especially along Harare Road and Samuel Parirenyatwa Street.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said the operation was aimed at ridding the city of buses that are congesting the roads at undesignated pick-up points.

“There is an operation that started on June 1, where we are arresting and impounding buses that are loading passengers at undesignated points around the city. This causes chaos on our roads as the buses block traffic which causes congestion on our roads. There is a lot of touting and harassing of people at these places, and as police we want to bring sanity on our roads,” said Asst Insp Msebele.

She identified problematic spots around the city, such as Harare Road from Joshua Mqabuko Street up to Samuel Parirenyatwa Street; 3rd Avenue and Fife Street, outside Highlanders Football Club; at Amakhosi Cultural Centre and at the Centenary Park.

Asst Insp Msebele said apart from the buses that are going to be impounded, passengers will also be arrested. “Those who are boarding at undesignated points around the city will face arrest. The vehicle, the driver and the passengers will be arrested and fined. This is to encourage people to use designated points,” she said.

It is not only long-distance buses that are causing problems on the city’s roads and the police are encouraged to also tame the chaos at 6th Avenue where commuter omnibuses plying different routes to western suburbs are illegally picking up passengers.

So chaotic is the situation at 6th Avenue that the kombi drivers ignore the traffic lights regulating movement in the race for customers. This poses danger to fellow motorists and pedestrians hence the urgent need to address the situation before disaster strikes.

The same situation presents at the corner of 10th Avenue and Fort Street especially during peak hours.

The police therefore need to cast their net wider and arrest all offenders who are behind the chaos on the city’s roads.