Suburban
Residents of Athlone in Greendale are requesting an evening bus under the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) franchise in order to ensure that they arrive home safely from work and other daily routines.
Diana Nherera Suburban Reporter
The residents said they are having to board pirate taxis also known as mushika shika from the central business district after 6pm putting themselves at risk of being robbed, raped or killed.
“If the community can convince the people up there (authorities) to allocate one extra trip at 7pm.
“It is expensive to also hire a car all the time,” said one Athlone resident discussing the issue on a residents’ platform.
Another resident said they had approached a Zupco kombi plying their route over the issue and the operator said the problem operators were shunning the route was because commuters did not want to pay ZWL$60.
Other residents said they do not really mind the amount they have to pay as long as they get home safely.
But another resident said they are paying the same amount when they board Zupco buses plying the Kamfinsa or Msasa route.
Residents also said that there is no Zupco bus servicing their route in the afternoon putting them at risk of falling victims to criminals disguising themselves as pirate taxis operators.
“So the bus only comes in the morning and evening but in between, there is nothing.
“People are being robbed even in the afternoon on Wilson Drive,” the discussion heard from another Athlone resident.
The discussion also heard that school children were having transport problems to go home after attending lessons.
Contacted for comment, Zanu PF District Coordinating Committee 4 Secretary for Indigenization, Cde Kingstone Manyuchi said the kombi operators were shunning the route for fear of losses because fewer commuters travel during the afternoons using public transport.
“These are private transport operators who have to maintain their own kombis.
“So they prefer routes with many people in need of transportation,” he said.
Cde Manyuchi said another problem was some people who prefer boarding pirate taxis therefore sabotaging themselves against getting service from Zupco.
He gave an example of Glen Lorne where the bus stopped plying that route because of lack of demand.
“There was a Zupco bus which would ferry three people from town and go back with one person so it becomes a loss,” said Cde Manyuchi.
He said Zupco buses plying the Mandara route are always full because there is no problem of pirate taxis.
Last week, Rhodesville Police Station warned Greendale residents about criminals targeting commuters in the neighbourhood using a black Honda Fit with obscured rear registration number and a silver grey Toyota Altezza.
In a statement, the public relations unit at Rhodesville Police Station said robbery cases involving criminals using the two vehicles were being reported at the police station and advised the public against using pirate taxis for transport.
The robberies occurred in the Msasa, Greendale and Kamfinsa areas as well as along major roads such as Robert Mugabe and Samora Machel.
“They (the criminals) are using various methods to take valuables from their victims ranging from beating up, pushing out victims from moving vehicle and pretending as if a door is not opening. They ask the victim to open whilst they will be searching handbags and stealing from them. These cases are occurring around Msasa, Greendale Kamfinsa and along major roads Robert (Mugabe) and Samora (Machel). It is against this background that as ZRP Rhodesville Public relations we urge you all to be very alert and vigilant when traveling. Do not board these unregistered pirate taxis for not all of them are genuine. We urge you to use public transport (in) which your safety is guaranteed. Do not trust anyone as some criminals pretend to be looking for transport when they will be on surveillance of potential victims whom they will later board the same vehicle with and rob. Please be very careful as this proves to be rife now. Take heed and be safe,” ZRP Rhodesville said in a statement.
