HRT hails re- introduction of ZUPCO

A statement issued by the HRT today acknowledged the importance of re- introducing ZUPCO buses for the commuting public saying this would enhance competition among transport operators.

Read a statement issued by the HRT, “When coming up with interventions, decision makers and policymakers must clearly identify the root problems to those challenges and address them rather than recreate the problems in a different context.”

The organisation that represents residents acknowledged that although the re- introduction of ZUPCO provided stiffer competition among transport operators, and increases the choices available to the travelling public, the convenience of the travelling public should be on top of the priorities of the planners within the government and the City of Harare.

“While at it, it is also very critical to think of where all the commuter omnibuses operating on our roads in the cities will go when the ZUPCO buses are reintroduced,” read the statement.

The HRT urged government to come up with mechanisms that catered for other players within the transport industry.

“Government’s intervention must not only be to take over the market share without competition and oust other business operators,” read the statement.

“Its intervention must be to widen the choice for the people considering that a lot of livelihoods are seriously threatened in the phase out process.”

The organisation urged Harare City Council to invest in the city’s infrastructure to ensure that the city centre has the capacity to accommodate both public and private vehicles.

“The municipal authorities should be focused on creating new parking spaces for kombis and find better ways to decongest the central business district without altering the forms of revenue generation for the businesses involved,” read the HRT statement.

“The city fathers should invest in the expansion of existing parking infrastructure in order to accommodate more kombis and private vehicles.”

The HRT questioned whether the recently established parking bay at Coventry Road, just opposite the Kopje and Colcom Company in Harare was constructed after consultations with the business people and commuters.

“The question that arises is on whether this was done with the input of the kombi crews and operators in order to develop a working system that is beneficial to the municipality, the travelling public and the kombi operators,” read the statement.

“If the initiative benefits only one of the parties involved then it will fail.”