Daniel Mhonda Post Correspondent
THE National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) says it has been overwhelmed by the number of people who travelled by rail to different destinations during the Christmas holiday, as most transporters hiked their fares during the past days.
NRZ public relations officer Mr Nyasha Maravanyika said this week most commuters resorted to travelling using the train as bus fares soared during the festive season with some avoiding the fuel crisis facing the nation.
“As a result of the ‘fuel crisis’ that is being faced during the festive season, bus operators hiked their fares beyond the reach of many commuters who wanted to visit their families during the holidays,” he said.
Mr Maravanyika said this festive season they received an over whelming number of people who travelled by train especially along the Mutare-Harare route.
“As a result of the pressure we received from passengers we had to temporally stop some commuter coaches so as to assist the inter-city coaches.
“We did not change our prices despite the increase on the number of travellers as we remained on usual prices,” he added.
NRZ was charging $6 from Mutare-Harare while other transporters were charging between $25 and $30 for the same route.
Mr Maravanyika said Government should prioritise in investing in rail transport as it can assist in economic development.