By 
Students in the country who are currently sitting for June exams , have appealed to government for the provision of Zupco buses as transport struggles intensifies.
This comes at a time were public transport has been banned from operating , following the Presidents directive of a national lockdown which started on March 30 as part of measures to curb COVID19.
For June candidates commuting from home to exam centres has actually become a struggle , waking up around 4am to catch the bus and being charged exorbitant prices by private car owners who are now capitalising with the transport situation has become their oder of the day.
Schools have been closed since March 24 as Government move to prevent the spread of the global pandemic.
Days to reopen schools raised alarms and concerns , since covid19 cases have been increasing in the country.
However , Minister of Primary and Secondary education, professor Paul Mavhima told the media on Monday that the examinations will commence as scheduled.
Exams kicked off on Tuesday June 30 , but the transport struggles students are going through has made them to put in an appeal for the provision of Zupco buses to ease the situation and make travelling to exam centres easy for them.
Herentals college June candidate Mercy Runheko said, “ I’m pleading with government to look into the transport situation and provide us with buses specifically for students the strains are going through are proving to be too much for me , I reside in Budiriro its a highly populated area with all of us scrambling for the available buses , the long ques , early mornings have become a struggle.”
“ I am waking up at 4am in this cold weather to get a better number at the ques , its really frustrating and exahusting , could we have not written the exams with proper transport measures put in place , on behalf of June candidates I’m asking the government to provide us with Buses in our locations,” said a student at Market square.
Lockdown restrictions came with the ban of public transport ,government further banned Kombis for good even after lockdown they will not be operating this has been a huge blow to commuters as the inconsistency and unreliable
Zupco buses has been the available option private cars and trucks being alternatives.
An external student who narrated his challenges lamented his struggles and transport expenses from using private cars.
“ Im using USD2 per day which is something my parents can not really afford , private cars have been taking advantage of us , the long ques at Zupco buses actually delay me from getting at the exam centre early.”
ZUPCO buses remain the only mode of public transport with private ban on kombis last year, government extended the ZUPCO franchise to private commuter omnibus operators in a bid to increase convenience for urban commuters, but not many commuter omnibus operators have been up for the offer.
Zupco buses have not been enough to ferry citizens , following easing of lockdown restrictions , the number of workers who commute to and from work has increased and the buses have been failing to capacitate.
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