ZUDAC STATEMENT ON THE CURRENT PUBLIC TRANSPORT CRISIS IN ZIMBABWE.
We hope to find you well. Our transport situation has failed to improve and it has been for decades. We appreciate the efforts being made by the government to address the crisis. The Covid pandemic forced the government to suspend all private kombi operators from offering transport service.
Whilst we agree that the government had to act to protect the public from the Covid 19, we feel that the suspension of private Kombies has now made the situation worse than before as such it needs a review.
Zupco should not be disbanded but we need a supplementary transport system from private Zimbabwean operators.
Zupco must be given routes to operate and private operators the same.
It is important to note that private operators include pensioners, war veterans, war detainees, war collaborators, disabled people, general Zimbabwean citizens and drivers.
The bringing back of Kombies is going to bring a positive impact on our economy. The first signs will be the government’s revenue generation and the income per capita.
The nation of Zimbabwe is now subject to rape, robberies, murders and accidents. It is now evident that Zupco is now providing transport to less than 40 percent of our people and 60 percent from private illegal operators.
Further more the economy has been slowed down by the delays encountered by all workers on reporting for work. This is totally negative to the already struggling economy.
As Zudac we continue to urge the government to review the Covid pandemic statutory instrument of 2020. The statutory instrument makes it an offence for anyone to operate public transport business outside Zupco franchise. This program has exposed our government to a ZWL1, 2 billion debt.
The program has killed compliance for both drivers and vehicles. Vehicles are nolonger going for VID periodical examinations with drivers failing to renew their defensive and medical because they are no longer paid adequately. Inflation is always wiping out their salaries which are always late. The Zupco program has brought suffering to GVT, operators and public countrywide.
The Union engaged the President’s Office Utilities Committee, Local GVT Minister, Home Affairs ministry, Min of Transport and the Parliamentary portifo Committee for local government and transport. What surprises us is that it is taking time for us to get a respond on our submissions.
The transport crisis has lacked coverage from all our newspapers and radios as they are focusing more on politics and social media adultery affairs of celebrities.
The social media is also awash with non productive issues and sideling challenges facing communities. Zimbabweans we must spare time for progressive patriotic thinking.
The morale of Drivers and Conductors is very low because of poor salaries and bad working conditions.
Transport at Zupco is now being run by the wrong people who do not value safety of the public and welfare of workers.
Zupco is doing well on marketing but doing nothing on corruption, competence and welfare of operators and drivers.
As an organization we are there to give our government the right information for sound planning and policing.
Our enforcement is now caught in between poor planning and public disobedience on the transport policy. ZRP and VID are now finding it difficult to impound vehicles belonging to big Names. We know our President does not like this in any way.
Our police and VID must be allowed to execute their constitutional obligation thereby eliminating rogue elements.
We would want to convey our heartfelt condolences to all families of victims of Nkulumane and Chiremba road railway accidents. The accidents happened yesterday the 26 April.
We continue to urge all drivers to follow all road rules and regulations as they are for a reason.
May their souls rest in eternal peace.
FROM ZUDAC INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
ZIMBABWE.