The journey to sanity

Ray Bande Senior Reporter
Before Covid-19 came to alter our ways of living, ‘peak hour’ was a phrase that many commuters in Zimbabwe loathed.

With their sickening, shrieking and piercing voices, touts would bang commuter omnibus doors and harass innocent women and children.

They would increase transport fares whenever they felt like it.

Needless vulgar insults would be hauled at passengers willy nilly.

Physical abuse of the fairer sex had become common at various bus termini.

Thieves preying on unsuspecting travellers had also found fertile ground at urban kombi ranks.

Careless driving, including stopping in the middle of the road to drop or pick passengers, had become the norm in many of Zimbabwe’s urban areas.

The kombi crews’ joy as they feasted on the misery of the commuting public was unforgivable.

Several cartels illegally controlling kombis had taken control of the termini and would charge every vehicle for loading.

But as fate would have it, privately-run commuter omnibuses have stopped operating as part of a raft of measures to decongest public spaces as the country seeks to contain Covid-19.

At long last, sanity seems to be returning to the country’s public transport system.

The Zimbabwe Passengers and Stage Carriers Association national coordinator and Manicaland chapter’s leader, Mr Isau Mupfumi, believes the country’s transport system is on its way to normalcy.

Mr Mupfumi said Zimbabwe’s public transport system will never enjoy sanity if private players remain dominant.

“Public transport operators should not do their business independently. A public private partnership between Government and public transport operators will do the trick.

“Just look at how the Zupco drivers and conductors are conducting business politely, that’s the way to go.

“It is never a good idea for the public transport system to be controlled by private players. Therefore we really thank Government for addressing this anomaly. That is the hallmark of effective leadership,” said Mr Mupfumi.

However, commuters have pointed out that the fleet currently plying urban routes in Manicaland is not enough to cater for them.

Currently, Mutare has 100 kombis and 70 buses transporting people to and from work. Considering the need for physical distancing on the buses, Zupco’s acting chief executive officer, Mr Evaristo Madangwa said while their buses have the capacity to carry 64 passengers per trip, they are carrying 32 passengers.

To cover the existing gap, more conventional buses are being inspected and certified for fitness by the Central Mechanical and Equipment Department following Government’s recent invitation for private commuter omnibus operators to join the Zupco franchise if they want to operate during the lockdown period and beyond.

But as the journey to sanity in the country’s public transport system proceeds, there is a clique that has found themselves out of ‘employment’.

Touts and kombi conductors are singing the blues as their daily source of income abruptly sunk into oblivion.

With each passing day, the hope to return to the roads is fading for most of them.

Joshua Mangana, a 49-year-old kombi conductor popularly known as Chemhere said, “When this thing (Covid-19 lockdown) started, we thought it would quickly come to pass so that we would return to our jobs but we are now losing hope with each passing day.

Chembere is an old hand in the trade. He used to ply Mutare’s Chikanga-town route.

“Most of my colleagues are struggling to make ends meets. While some are still hoping to return to the roads, I do not see that happening.

“I was there when emergency taxis were phased out. I remember we used to stand on tow hinges of emergency taxis as we called out for clients, this is how they were phased out. This might be the end of the privately-run kombis.”

Government will provide a helping hand through a cushioning package for the affected commuter omnibus crews.