News / Local
Commuters bear brunt of cops-kombis' standoff
06 Nov 2015 at 05:37hrs | Views
Commuters foot their way into town after being dropped off along Khami Road by kombi crews fearful of the heavy police presence in the Bulawayo CBD yesterday
Bulawayo traffic police yesterday launched a blitz on commuter ominibuses which saw a number of kombis being impounded thereby leaving commuters stranded.
Some of the kombis were dropping commuters on the city's periphery in order to evade arrest and scores of commuters could be seen walking to the Central Business District.
The kombi crews claimed that the blitz was sparked by the kidnapping and assault of a police officer by kombi crews at Basch Street terminus popularly known as Egodini.
This was however refuted by Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango who said the exercise was an ongoing police operation meant to rid the city's roads of kombis without proper documents and unlicensed drivers.
"Police have embarked on a number of operations to restore order in the cities around the country. It's not a new operation as kombi drivers would want people to believe. Police are on an operation to ensure drivers have licences and that kombis have proper documents," said Insp Simango.
She said kombis found without proper documents were being impounded and detained at Ross Camp.
"The objective is to prevent unnecessary loss of lives caused by reckless drivers and those without driver's licences or proper documents for public service vehicles," she said.
Frustrated Bulawayo residents could be seen walking after being dropped far away from the CBD by kombi operators who feared having their vehicles impounded.
A Chronicle newscrew counted up to 50 commuter omnibuses at Ross Camp that had been impounded by 10AM.
During the evening rush hour just before 5PM, few kombis were at Egodini.
Kombi crews said the police descended heavily on them after a police officer was assaulted at the terminus by some kombi crews who had kidnapped him.
A kombi driver who only identified himself as Blacks told The Chronicle that he witnessed a police officer being assaulted by drivers and touts yesterday morning.
"When they arrested my colleague, a police officer jumped into his vehicle. He instructed him to drive to Ross Camp but he decided to turn and get into Egodini bus terminus and drivers and touts took turns to assault the arresting officer," he said.
The driver said other officers who were manning a roadblock nearby had to rush to his rescue and the assailants then fled from the scene.
Inspector Simango said they will continue to enforce the law to ensure all kombi drivers are licence holders and all the vehicles have proper documents to operate on the given routes.
A kombi driver, Tapiwa Macheke said what was happening was not good for kombi operators who were losing business and the commuters who were dropped far away from the CBD or were made to wait for long hours to get transport home in the evening as there were few kombis at Egodini.
He, however, conceded that they were many drivers that did not have driver's liences while some kombis did not have the required documents.
Some of the kombis were dropping commuters on the city's periphery in order to evade arrest and scores of commuters could be seen walking to the Central Business District.
The kombi crews claimed that the blitz was sparked by the kidnapping and assault of a police officer by kombi crews at Basch Street terminus popularly known as Egodini.
This was however refuted by Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango who said the exercise was an ongoing police operation meant to rid the city's roads of kombis without proper documents and unlicensed drivers.
"Police have embarked on a number of operations to restore order in the cities around the country. It's not a new operation as kombi drivers would want people to believe. Police are on an operation to ensure drivers have licences and that kombis have proper documents," said Insp Simango.
She said kombis found without proper documents were being impounded and detained at Ross Camp.
"The objective is to prevent unnecessary loss of lives caused by reckless drivers and those without driver's licences or proper documents for public service vehicles," she said.
Frustrated Bulawayo residents could be seen walking after being dropped far away from the CBD by kombi operators who feared having their vehicles impounded.
A Chronicle newscrew counted up to 50 commuter omnibuses at Ross Camp that had been impounded by 10AM.
During the evening rush hour just before 5PM, few kombis were at Egodini.
Kombi crews said the police descended heavily on them after a police officer was assaulted at the terminus by some kombi crews who had kidnapped him.
A kombi driver who only identified himself as Blacks told The Chronicle that he witnessed a police officer being assaulted by drivers and touts yesterday morning.
"When they arrested my colleague, a police officer jumped into his vehicle. He instructed him to drive to Ross Camp but he decided to turn and get into Egodini bus terminus and drivers and touts took turns to assault the arresting officer," he said.
The driver said other officers who were manning a roadblock nearby had to rush to his rescue and the assailants then fled from the scene.
Inspector Simango said they will continue to enforce the law to ensure all kombi drivers are licence holders and all the vehicles have proper documents to operate on the given routes.
A kombi driver, Tapiwa Macheke said what was happening was not good for kombi operators who were losing business and the commuters who were dropped far away from the CBD or were made to wait for long hours to get transport home in the evening as there were few kombis at Egodini.
He, however, conceded that they were many drivers that did not have driver's liences while some kombis did not have the required documents.
Source - chronicle
