Kombi ownership outlawed

BULAWAYO City Council has moved to ban individual commuter omnibus ownership in the city and ordered operators to form two public companies by the end of this  month.

Council has also advised the Zimbabwe United Passengers Company (Zupco) that used to have a monopoly on public transport to join one of the companies to be formed if it wished to continue operating in Bulawayo.

The move follows the signing of a public transport policy agreement between council, public transporters and other interested parties on October 3, 2012.

According to the policy, the formation of the two public transport companies is meant to curb rampant abuse of passengers and flouting of traffic regulations by Kombi crews.

The city's director of engineering services Engineer Simela Dube yesterday said the date was not coming from the blue as council had been consulting with transporters over the issue in the past 18 months.

He told councillors on February 10 that the two companies will be formed by existing operators who would enter into a contract called Service Level Agreement.

"This agreement will spell out the obligations of the two parties namely BCC and the formed company," said Eng Dube.

He added that the companies would be given five year "water tight" contracts to operate in Bulawayo, with clauses that provided for the termination of the agreement if they provided residents with service that was below a minimum agreed standard.

Eng Dube said transporters needed to iron out modalities about the formation of the companies to avoid future conflicts among shareholders.

"Current registered operators would qualify to be members or shareholders of the company. The share structure of the company should be clearly spelt out. The maximum number of shares or vehicles that the company would have should be stated," he said.

"Maximum and minimum number of shares an individual may have in the company has to be agreed. Who and how new members would qualify to buy    shares, and for existing members to buy additional shares in the company, has to be stated. Procedures for disposal of shares  in the company should be clear, with sanctions for transgressing share disposal bye-laws."

Eng Dube said council had received an application dated September, 26, 2013 from Zupco, indicating the company wanted to resume commuter service from the City Hall and Basch Street Termini.

After reviewing the application, councillors resolved: "Zupco be advised to join either of the two companies that are responsible for the Bulawayo city public transport as per the public transport policy."

A copy of the policy document availed by council last year shows that conductors (owindi) would be required to have at least a certificate in public relations.

The document reads: "All employees of the company shall receive training in public relations and customer care and shall not be permitted to work in Bulawayo until they have written proof that they have passed these courses at certificate level."

It is stated in part three and four of the policy that all public transport vehicles shall be registered on specific routes, which start and end at fixed termini.

"No vehicle other than those appointed by the company shall be allowed to use or enter the termini.  Only metered taxis shall be allowed to make door-to-door delivery of passengers. Mini buses, kombis, buses registered or unregistered shall not be permitted in the CBD (Central Business District) for whatever reason.

"Owners of such vehicles may apply to council to use them in the CBD for private and personal use. Council's determination of such applications shall be final," the document read.

The policy, in part five, stipulates that all public service vehicles would be registered and inspected every six months and  should be serviced by a reputable registered garage.

An enforcement committee to incorporate council, the Vehicle Inspection Department (VID), representatives of the company and residents would be set up to ensure compliance.

Organisations that took part in the formulation of the policy include Bulawayo councillors and staff, Zupco, the police, VID, Automobile Association of Zimbabwe (AAZ), cross border transporters, Bulawayo United Transporters Association (Bupta), civic organisations, Express Private Car Commuter Services, Tshova Mbayiwa, residents and the National Professional Drivers Association of Zimbabwe.