By Memory Chikavhanga
Privately owned commuter omnibus operators have hiked fares following the ongoing operation in the Central Business District (CBD).
Earlier this month, the Zimbabwe Republic Police working in conjunction with local authorities introduced an operation that is dealing with commuters who violate traffic laws on the roads while most unroadworthy vehicles were also impounded during the operation.
This has caused an acute shortage in the number of vehicles that are left to serve the public, hence the few that remained in operation have since hiked fares.
Speaking to TechnoMagTv, representatives from the transport sector have said that they have since introduced a system that monitors offenders and the fare hikes are to cushion them from running losses in the face of the Police.
The traffic management system gave the green light to private commuters to hike fares in order to avoid losses when being caught by police.
Asked about the hikes, one driver had this to say, “The operation underway has cost us, we are unable to make our daily usual trips, and that is why we have increased our fares to compensate for the losses we would have made.
“We have raised our fares from $1 to $1.50 and $2 during peak hours. It’s unfortunate this is affecting both passengers and operators,” he added.
Goliath Association of Zimbabwe representative said he was shocked by the latest development that other operators were hiking fares.
“As an association, we are not so sure where these hikes in fares are coming from. Such operators are being inconsiderate. Failing to adhere to stipulated government rules and regulations is a crime on its own. This is the simple reason why passengers end up shunning our kombis and opting for lorries which would charge them reasonable fares,” he said.
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