Private bus companies in illegal local operations

Some bus operators illegally operating in Harare are ferrying passengers from one suburb to another during the night in disregard of the Government’s directive that only Zimbabwe United Passenger Company registered buses should give local service.

Pirate taxi operators popularly known as “Mushika-Shika” using Toyota Wish and Honda Fit vehicles have also become a nuisance on the roads, charging exorbitant fares between US$1 and $2 for most local trips. They have literally replaced banned kombis. The buses that operate at night, also ferry passengers early morning to the vegetable markets and to workplaces in town before parking their buses around 9am.

After work around 4pm, they are also back on the road, playing hide and seek with the police, and at times, bribing their way out.

Government, since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, directed that all private buses including commuter omnibuses, should either register with Zupco or cease operations.

The measure was put in place to curb the spread of the deadly virus and also to protect passengers from being charged unjustifiably high fares.

Those uncontrolled operators are known for harassing commuters and breaking road rules and regulations with impunity. The police were tasked to enforce all the lockdown measures, but due to the laxity and corruption of these law enforcement agents, private bus operators and “mushika shika” are ferrying commuters from one end to another, in full glare of the police.

Recently, President Mnangagwa directed the police to ensure that only designated transport operators such as Zupco continue to be the provider of public transport.

The President when he was commissioning the latest batch of new buses for Zupco, denounced private transport operators for abusing Government’s empowerment initiatives extended to them over the years through unscrupulous behaviour.

However, recent investigations by The Herald have shown that buses not registered with Zupco are operating in Harare especially along the Epworth-Mbare route, regardless of the ban. Almost all roads which lead into Harare’s Central Business District have roadblocks and police check points but these buses, illegally operating commuter omnibuses and mushika shika are finding their way into the CBD.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said all illegal operators will be arrested. “According to the Covid-19 regulations, they are operating illegally. The law will be applied to those who break it.

“Those who are breaking it will be arrested.” In Epworth, a Herald reporter, together with other passengers boarded a local private bus, MTL Trans at a bus stop adjacent Domboramwari High School around 5:30 am on Friday.

The bus operates on the Epworth-Harare City route using Chiremba Road. Before the bus came, more than 20 illegal commuter omnibuses could be seen ferrying passengers either to Mbare or Harare town.

However, many commuters braced the chilly Friday morning weather waiting for the buses since they charge lesser than other commuter omnibuses. The reporter, who was working on a story on illegal private transport operations. was issued with a ticket from the bus after paying $50.

Unauthorized commuter omnibuses are charging US$1 or $100 for the same trip. Just before Chans shopping centre in Epworth is a 24-hour police checkpoint where almost every motorist is stopped.

However, the checkpoint seems to be only focusing on other motorists and not illegal transport operators.

The reporter observed as the officers manning the checkpoint allowed the MTL bus passing without even stopping it. In front of the bus were two white commuter omnibuses, a Toyota Hiace and a Nissan Caravan which were also allowed passage after they were briefly stopped.

They were also operating illegally.

The bus used Chiremba Road all the way and joined Robert Mugabe Way where it dropped passengers behind Amtec in town before proceeding to drop other passengers along Rezende street in town.

Soon after dropping the passengers, the bus returned to Epworth.

Those which operate along the Epworth-Mbare route drop people at Coca Cola and finally behind OK Mbare.

The drivers would then take a full day break and only resume operations from 3pm till around 8 pm.

The reporter, on a separate day observed while several private buses load passengers behind OK Mbare and also charging $50 for a trip.

The bus crews do not care if one is wearing a mask or not, the buses would be packed to the full, with standing passengers covering the whole passage up to the door. It is not only in Epworth where there is clear disregard of lockdown regulations by transport operators.

In Chitungwiza, private kombis ferry passengers in broad day light and drop them in Harare after passing through two roadblocks. Mushika shikas are doing the same.-herald.clz.w