THOUSANDS of commuters in Harare and other urban centres were yesterday left stranded after police launched an operation targeting unlicensed commuter omnibuses and pirate taxis.
The commuters, however, said the police’s Phase 2 Operation Tame the Traffic Jungle was meant to punish urbanites for overwhelmingly voting for the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).
The massive operation saw police impounding vehicles without charging drivers or vehicle owners.
In Harare, several commuters were forced to complete their journeys on foot after they were dropped off before their destinations as kombi crews avoided police roadblocks on major roads leading to the city centre.
“We are struggling to get transport. Police are just everywhere disrupting us from getting transport home. Personally, I feel government is punishing us for overwhelmingly voting for CCC. It’s the same doing with regards to electricity,” Tinashe Muturikwa, a commuter, said.
Another commuter who only identified herself as Ruramai said the operation had become a nightmare for commuters.
“We are now being dropped off outside town because kombi crews are afraid of being arrested. This has seriously impacted our ability to reach our preferred destinations in time,” she said.
Zimbabwe Union of Drivers and Conductors president Frederick Maguramhinga said while the initiative was necessary to keep the city clean and weed out unruly elements, they had problems with its implementation.
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“What is happening on the ground is that even the vehicles with the necessary documentation are now being impounded. The process of acquiring papers is difficult because we don’t have a one-stop shop, we don’t access papers online and the papers also take time to come out,” he said.
“We want the operation to have phases, for instance vehicles that are 70% compliant are different from vehicles with zero compliance.”
He said the operation was harsh on transporters who were striving to ensure compliance with government requirements.
“What is on the document is not what is happening on the ground. We are appealing to law enforcers to put more effort on those who do not have papers and let those who have papers do business because getting papers is costly,” he said.
In a leaked circular seen by NewsDay yesterday, Criminal Investigation Department acting chief director Assistant Commissioner Jealous Nyabasa said lawlessness on the roads, especially in major cities, had reached alarming and unacceptable levels.
He accused kombi drivers of causing chaos on the roads as they disregard traffic laws.
Nyabasa said pirate taxis had taken over the passenger transport industry.
However, Passengers Association of Zimbabwe president Tafadzwa Goliath applauded the police for the operation saying despite challenges, it was necessary to keep the cities clean and to save lives.
“Government must craft a transport policy. We don't have one currently. But the operation is good, it might bring sanity in cities. The operation will also protect civilians from getting robbed by drivers of cars posing as mshikashika,” he said.
