Council
had
set
January
as
a
deadline
to
eradicate
illegal
pick-up
and
drop-off
points
following
sustained
complaints
from
residents,
licensed
transport
operators
and
councillors.
Concerns
intensified
last
week
after
two
people
were
killed
and
at
least
12
others
injured
in
separate
traffic
incidents
along
Sixth
Avenue,
renewing
calls
for
stricter
enforcement
and
improved
regulation
of
public
transport
in
the
city
centre.
At
the
centre
of
the
problem
is
a
Public
Transport
Policy
adopted
in
2012,
designed
to
establish
a
safe,
efficient
and
coordinated
system
through
clearly
defined
routes,
designated
termini
and
registered
operators.
Implementation
of
the
policy
stalled
during
the
Covid-19
pandemic
after
the
government
declared
the
Zimbabwe
United
Passenger
Company
(Zupco)
the
sole
public
transport
provider.
Enforcement
resumed
in
2022
when
the
sector
was
reopened
to
other
operators,
but
councillors
say
progress
has
been
slow.
Council
says
six
transport
companies
are
currently
operating
under
Service
Level
Agreements
(SLAs),
which
outline
approved
routes
and
operational
responsibilities.
These
include
Tshova
Mubaiwa
Transport
Co-operative
Company
(Private)
Limited,
Bulawayo
City
Transit
Trust,
BUPTA
Limited,
VUTA
Taxis
(Private),
BUWTRA
and
Zupco.
However,
council
officials
acknowledged
that
most
of
these
operators
are
not
servicing
intra-city
routes
as
intended.
Operators
are
required
to
pay
annual
operational
fees
to
the
municipality
as
part
of
the
route
permit
application
process
with
the
Ministry
of
Transport.
Fees
are
set
at
US$180
for
commuter
omnibuses
carrying
between
seven
and
19
passengers,
US$200
for
vehicles
carrying
more
than
19
passengers,
and
US$150
for
metered
taxis.
Despite
these
requirements,
council
estimates
that
about
3,000
commuter
omnibuses
operate
in
Bulawayo,
with
only
a
fraction
seeking
formal
route
approval.
The
city
has
three
designated
inter-city
termini,
Renkini
Long
Distance
Bus
Terminus,
Entumbane
and
Nkulumane,
but
council
says
operators
continue
to
operate
illegally
from
the
CBD.
According
to
council,
many
inter-city
and
cross-border
operators
regard
the
termini
as
unattractive
due
to
dilapidated
infrastructure,
prompting
them
to
pick
up
passengers
from
unauthorised
locations.
Council
minutes
cite
several
challenges,
including
non-compliance
with
permit
requirements,
traffic
congestion
in
the
CBD,
use
of
undesignated
ranks,
limited
enforcement
capacity,
unbranded
vehicles,
including
so-called mshikashika,
funding
constraints
and
the
presence
of
heavy-duty
trucks
in
the
city
centre.
Councillor
Edwin
Ndlovu
blamed
the
council
for
inconsistent
enforcement.
“Enforcement
should
be
done
on
a
level
playing
field,”
he
said,
adding
that
illegal
operators
had
established
unauthorised
pick-up
points
along
Sixth
Avenue,
Leopold
Takawira
Street,
Herbert
Chitepo
Street,
Fourth
Street
and
Eleventh
Avenue.
He
also
raised
concerns
over
Tshova
Mubaiwa
Transport
Co-operative
Company’s
use
of
the
Pick
n’
Pay
Hyper
terminus
to
service
routes
outside
its
designated
area,
which
he
said
created
unfair
competition.
Temporary
barricades
previously
installed
along
Sixth
Avenue
had
since
been
removed,
further
weakening
enforcement,
he
added.
Councillor
Ndlovu
also
cited
complaints
from
local
operators
who
alleged
preferential
treatment
of
outside
companies,
saying
council
had
approved
the
use
of
a
coach
parking
bay
near
a
city
hotel
while
rejecting
similar
applications
from
local
businesses.
Ward
19
councillor
Lazarus
Mphadwe
said
the
mushrooming
of
illegal
pick-up
points
was
contributing
to
littering
and
illegal
dumping
in
the
CBD.
“It
is
high
time
council
implements
a
coordinated
enforcement
strategy
with
other
stakeholders,”
he
said.
Ward
12
councillor
Susan
Sithole
echoed
the
call,
saying
order
must
be
restored
in
the
city’s
public
transport
system.
Council
chairperson
Dumisani
Netha
also
criticised
weak
enforcement,
urging
authorities
to
engage
stakeholders
and
fully
implement
the
Public
Transport
Policy.
In
response,
the
Director
of
Town
Planning,
Wisdom
Siziba,
said
recent
enforcement
operations
along
Sixth
Avenue
had
led
to
the
impounding
of
several
VUTA
Taxis
vehicles
operating
illegally.
He
warned
the
company
to
comply
with
city
by-laws
and
policies.
Siziba
said
the
deadline
for
eliminating
illegal
pick-up
and
drop-off
points
had
been
set
for
January
2026,
and
that
Tshova
Mubaiwa
had
been
instructed
to
relocate
part
of
its
fleet
to
designated
termini.
Council
said
a
report
on
Tshova
Mubaiwa
Transport
Co-operative
Company’s
use
of
the
Pick
n’
Pay
Hyper
terminus
for
unauthorised
routes
would
be
presented
in
February
2026.
According
to
council
minutes,
the
company’s
chairperson
had
pledged
compliance,
while
council
indicated
that
all
public
transport
ranks
belong
to
the
municipality
and
have
specific
routes
assigned.
The
minutes
also
noted
that
the
Public
Transport
Policy
is
expected
to
be
formalised
into
a
city
by-law.