Business / Companies
Metro Bus to import 30 buses from Europe
10 Jun 2014 at 07:35hrs | Views
FOLLOWING a success trial run, Metro Bus is set to import 30 buses from Europe soon to improve the public transportation system in Harare, a company official has said.
Metro Bus intends to provide service between Harare's central business district and surrounding residential areas such as Glen View/Budiriro, Highfield/Glen Norah, Warren Park/Norton, Kuwadzana/Dzivarasekwa, Ruwa/Zimre Park, Mabvuku/Tafara and Borrowdale/ Hatcliffe, according to the company's business plan.
Metro Bus is a bus-based mass transit system modelled around the mass transfer of commuters within urban centres. It is a well established concept across the globe and is designed to improve the efficient movement of commuters between economic zones, de-congest city centres and enhance the attractiveness of cities as investment destinations.
"Metro Bus ran a pilot fleet of five Mercedes Benz Citaro buses with a design capacity of 150 people each for Chitungwiza and the trials were a huge success," said the official.
"As such, the company is satisfied with the market response and is set to import 30 more buses from Europe very soon. We have made good progress with our supplier."
Zimbabwe is characterised by a very fragmented transport system mostly run by individual operators who operate small minibuses with sitting capacity of not more than 20 passengers.
As a result, the minibuses have worsened the traffic conditions in most cities as they compete to serve the growing needs of the commuting public.
The rapid bus transit system is therefore intended to reduce transport costs and enhance the aesthetic beauty of cities and increase the economic efficiencies of transporting commuters.
It aims to combine capacity, flexibility, lower cost and speed.
Government has already started the process of phasing out urban commuter omnibuses in line with comprehensive plans to de-congest major cities and create a modern and affordable transport system.
Work is also underway to reduce import duty on bicycles to encourage Zimbabweans to embrace transport modes that use road space economically.
The measures, contained in the National Transport Policy, will be implemented over the next two years.
Under the new arrangement, high-volume buses operated by a limited number of private players will replace commuter omnibuses. Metro Bus will operate on a standard fare of $0,50 per passenger across the city.
Metro Bus intends to provide service between Harare's central business district and surrounding residential areas such as Glen View/Budiriro, Highfield/Glen Norah, Warren Park/Norton, Kuwadzana/Dzivarasekwa, Ruwa/Zimre Park, Mabvuku/Tafara and Borrowdale/ Hatcliffe, according to the company's business plan.
Metro Bus is a bus-based mass transit system modelled around the mass transfer of commuters within urban centres. It is a well established concept across the globe and is designed to improve the efficient movement of commuters between economic zones, de-congest city centres and enhance the attractiveness of cities as investment destinations.
"Metro Bus ran a pilot fleet of five Mercedes Benz Citaro buses with a design capacity of 150 people each for Chitungwiza and the trials were a huge success," said the official.
"As such, the company is satisfied with the market response and is set to import 30 more buses from Europe very soon. We have made good progress with our supplier."
Zimbabwe is characterised by a very fragmented transport system mostly run by individual operators who operate small minibuses with sitting capacity of not more than 20 passengers.
The rapid bus transit system is therefore intended to reduce transport costs and enhance the aesthetic beauty of cities and increase the economic efficiencies of transporting commuters.
It aims to combine capacity, flexibility, lower cost and speed.
Government has already started the process of phasing out urban commuter omnibuses in line with comprehensive plans to de-congest major cities and create a modern and affordable transport system.
Work is also underway to reduce import duty on bicycles to encourage Zimbabweans to embrace transport modes that use road space economically.
The measures, contained in the National Transport Policy, will be implemented over the next two years.
Under the new arrangement, high-volume buses operated by a limited number of private players will replace commuter omnibuses. Metro Bus will operate on a standard fare of $0,50 per passenger across the city.
Source - The Herald
