Zimpapers Logo

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter 

TRAFFIC police officers who allow illegal bus operators to pick and drop off passengers at undesignated points close to roadblocks will be charged for failing to perform their duties.

Illegal picking of passengers by long distance bus crews have made Bulawayo an eyesore, particularly along Leopold Takawira Extension opposite the Centenary Park.

The long-distance buses have set base along Leopold Takawira Avenue Extension adjacent to Bulawayo Theatre stretching up to the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe.

This has attracted vendors to the area resulting in noise pollution and littering around in the area.

But the illegal operations of the bus crews do not seem to bother police officers who frequently mount a roadblock just parallel to where these bus crews would be operating from.

A Chronicle news crew yesterday observed that traffic cops turned a blind eye on the bus crews as they touted for passengers within the vicinity.

The police were only focused on the vehicles that were driving into the city centre. 

Using the usual modus operandi, the bus crews would pretend to be driving off only to make a u-turn near the museum with most of the passengers being touts meant to lure passengers into boarding the empty buses.

Long distance buses are supposed to pick up passengers at Renkini Bus Terminus.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said it was unexpected for police officers to ignore bus crews when they will be committing a crime. 

“We are taking action against police officers who are allowing buses to pick up and drop off passengers at undesignated points closer to police roadblocks. We will certainly take action. I want to assure you on that,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.

He said the illegal picking up of passengers by bus operators was a problem countrywide which police are trying to address.

Asst Comm Nyathi said police have even engaged bus crews who pledged to join forces with law enforcement agents in dealing with the matter.

“First of all, long distance buses are licensed to carry passengers at designated pick-up points, not these illegal points. They are causing congestion, accidents and injuries. Their conduct is not safe, their action is really a cause for concern and we have made several engagements with their associations who made certain commitments to make undertakings including utilising designated pickup and drop off points to ferry passengers,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.

He warned members of the public that they also risk being arrested for being accomplices to boarding buses at illegal pick up points.

“If you recall last year, we resorted to arresting commuters who were boarding buses at undesignated points. But this led to a public outcry,” he said.

He said boarding buses at illegal points was putting passengers’ lives in danger.

Asst Comm Nyathi said police will also act against touts who are responsible for luring bus crews to pick up passengers at undesignated pickups.

The Zimbabwe Passenger Transporters Association chairman Mr Samson Nanhanga said the use of undesignated pickup points by bus operators was a concern in most cities. 

 

He said the biggest challenge for public transport operators is that while they might have an association, it does not have power to act on delinquent members.

“I might know what is happening and some of the operators who might be involved in this might be members of the association but others are not. At the moment we do not have any power to act on them. It is up to police and the municipality to take action against operators who operate illegally,” he said.

 Mr Nanhanga said they are waiting for Government to promulgate a Statutory Instrument that will mandate all public transporters to operate under an association.

Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo recently revealed that as part of liberalising the transport sector, players in the public transport sector will have to fall under an association which will be expected to instil discipline in a largely disorganised sector. 

“We are hoping that the Statutory Instrument will be announced very soon. It will empower us to organise our sector because at the moment we don’t have the power to deal with anyone,” said Mr Nanhanga.

Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Solomon Mguni said the illegal parking of buses was a violation of the city’s by-laws and should not be tolerated.

“The flagrant violations of the city by-laws by motorists is of concern to us. It cannot go unchecked. Centenary Park is not a bus terminus as far as we are concerned,” said Cllr Mguni.

Recently, deputy mayor Mlandu Ncube said although council had not made a resolution, it was considering roping in Tendy Three Investment (TTI), which is responsible for the city’s parking management to clamp the buses as they were operating illegally.

TTI is responsible for managing parking in the city centre. -@nqotshili