Bulawayo transport system better organised than Harare- minister says

Q & A

HON. SEN. DR. MAVETERA:  Thank you Madam President for giving me this opportunity to pose my question.  My question goes to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development.  Madam President, we applaud the Government for removing some of the restrictions which have hamstrung business and all industries have been asked to open.  My question to the Minister is, we have seen other industries, almost all sectors of the economy opening.  What is Government policy on the issue of commuter omnibus operators because they are the only ones who have not been given leeway to come back and if they want, they have to go through ZUPCO?  Can we say it is now Government policy to try to ban the commuter omnibus operators using the COVID-19 restrictions?  We understand commuter omnibus operators were a major employer which we applaud.  I thank you Madam President.

THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA):  Thank you Hon. President of Senate.  Let me also thank Hon. Sen. Dr. Mavetera for that very important question.  Madam President, issues to do with transportation, I am happy that the Hon. Senator has raised that very important question.  Let me also hasten Madam President to say this to the masses of Zimbabwe.  Urban transportation falls under the purview of Local Government and the generality of transportation falls under the Ministry of Transport.  What it means is that even though the urban transportation falls under the Local Government, the issuance of permits is done by the Ministry of Transport.  So when it comes to superintending over the operations of urban transportation, it falls under Local Government.  Your question has touched the aspects of urban transportation which normally covers the issues of ‘kombis.’  With your indulgence Madam President, you may allow the Hon. Minister to respond to that part.

I will also address the issues of transportation to say registration and issuance of permits; we understand the menace that was being caused by some of the ‘kombis’ that you talked about.  I can cite a good example.  Any operator who goes beyond 150km is not allowed to do intercity but you then find these kombis going beyond 150km, outside the scope of what is actually authorised.  You then find that the discipline in that sector was quite problematic.  I will not go deeper into the issue of ‘kombis.’  The Hon. Minister is here.  With your indulgence Madam President, he can elaborate on the issue of urban transportation.  I thank you.

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