Zengeza West legislator Job Sikhala has accused the government of deliberately incapacitating bus operators who have leased their vehicles to ZUPCO through non payment, whilst at the same time expecting them to maintain their own buses.

Sikhala was responding to a statement made by Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi who had said that bus operators who have seconded their vehicles to ZUPCO have the responsibility of servicing and maintaining their own fleet and ensure they satisfy the Vehicle Inspection Department safety requirements.

However, Honourable Sikhala argued that there was no way bus operators could ensure their vehicles were roadworthy when they were not being paid.

“Since October, the government has not been paying bus operators who have leased their buses to ZUPCO. They used to be paid after two weeks but now it is three months before these people are paid their money.

“How would they be able to service the buses? We also want the Minister to tell us when they are going to restore the arrangement which was there where the owners of the buses will be paid after every two weeks,” he said.

The Deputy Minister of Local Government Marian Chombo however refuted claims from Honourable Sikhala, adding that outstanding payments were settled and that they had actually made a call for more operators to join the program.

Government has come under fire lately for accepting unroadworthy buses under the ZUPCO program.

The outcry comes on the back of a lot of accidents involving many unroadworthy vehicles which are under the ZUPCO program.

Some of the buses do not have insurance and are hardly stopped by the VID for safety requirements.

Zimbabwe is facing transport challenges following the decision by the government to ban the kombis.

Kombis had been the main source of transport for many Zimbabweans due to operational challenges at the state owned ZUPCO.

-Open Parly