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Tafadzwa Chibukwa, Chronicle Reporter
POLICE in Bulawayo yesterday impounded 16 buses, 13 pirate taxis and five private vehicles for picking up passengers at undesignated areas.

There has been rampant picking of passengers at undesignated points by long-distance bus crews particularly along Bulawayo-Harare Road, Leopold Takawira Extension opposite the Centenary Park and along Bulawayo Plumtree Road at John Love Motors.

The offending transporters were arrested and their vehicles were taken to Ross Camp Police Station under an ongoing operation that police launched in June.

Police officers have been involved in running battles with long-distance buses that continue to load passengers at undesignated spots.

Transporters were observed this week picking passengers at undesignated point just before a police roadblock along Leopold Takawira Extension opposite the Centenary Park.

In an interview yesterday, Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said the bus drivers who were found picking passengers at undesignated points were arrested and their buses were impounded.

He said the police had been conducting campaigns discouraging the bus operators from operating at undesignated places but it seemed their message was falling on deaf ears hence the arrests.

“These bus crews have been ignoring police warnings and we have now decided to move in to enforce the law and this exercise will continue until there is sanity on our roads,” said Insp Ncube.

He said the illegal operators had been defiant because the fines they pay were not punitive.

Insp Ncube said the undesignated loading places had attracted vendors resulting in littering around the city. He said criminals were also operating from the undesignated points targeting travellers.

“Many travellers are being robbed and mugged especially at night at these undesignated pick-up points,” he said.

Inspector Abednico Ncube

Insp Ncube said many of the impounded buses and vehicles did not have the required documents such licences, certificates of fitness and other such documents.

“We are engaging the relevant authorities such as the vehicle inspectorate department as well as Zinara in clearing the buses and vehicles that do not have the required documents,” he said.

Insp Ncube urged members of the public to desist from boarding buses at undesignated points.

“We urge members of the public to board long-distance buses at Renkini Long Distance bus terminus or other long-distance bus terminuses in the city such as Entumbane,” he said. –@Sagepapie14