News / Local
Kombi wars putting commuters' lives at risk
04 Jul 2015 at 07:03hrs | Views
Commuter omnibus crews and pirate taxis in Bulawayo are said to be putting commuters' lives at risk as they often fight over them.
According to Chronicle the "wars" are on most routes in the city centre, Western areas and Eastern suburbs with the most notorious points being the Emagetsini-Luveve road, 3rd Avenue and Main Street pick-up points as well as some points in Lobengula and Pumula.
In one incident reported by the publication a group of nine touts, popularly known as "omavala", pulled out keys from a moving kombi with eighteen passengers on board.
On Friday a pirating kombi plying the Emganwini-city route reportedly fell into a trench near Nketa 7 Tavern turn-off after a tout grabbed the ignition keys while the other wrestled with the steering wheel of the moving vehicle in a bid to stop it from taking off.
A passenger told the publication that "when the kombi approached the Tavern turn off, one of the touts pulled off the keys while the other one grabbed the steering wheel. This led to the driver losing control and the kombi falling into a nearby trench."
On realising that what they had done could get them in trouble with the police, "Omavala" then pulled the kombi out.
Bulawayo residents have called on the police to intervene.
According to Chronicle the "wars" are on most routes in the city centre, Western areas and Eastern suburbs with the most notorious points being the Emagetsini-Luveve road, 3rd Avenue and Main Street pick-up points as well as some points in Lobengula and Pumula.
In one incident reported by the publication a group of nine touts, popularly known as "omavala", pulled out keys from a moving kombi with eighteen passengers on board.
On Friday a pirating kombi plying the Emganwini-city route reportedly fell into a trench near Nketa 7 Tavern turn-off after a tout grabbed the ignition keys while the other wrestled with the steering wheel of the moving vehicle in a bid to stop it from taking off.
A passenger told the publication that "when the kombi approached the Tavern turn off, one of the touts pulled off the keys while the other one grabbed the steering wheel. This led to the driver losing control and the kombi falling into a nearby trench."
On realising that what they had done could get them in trouble with the police, "Omavala" then pulled the kombi out.
Bulawayo residents have called on the police to intervene.
Source - Chronicle
