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termed police heavy handedness and corruption.
We do not understand why the operators have problems sticking to the law or why police have to smash windscreens.
And then there is this inference that there is overpolicing on our roads.
The matter has also spilled into Parliament, where even Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara spoke out against the flood of police roadblocks with apparent agreement of other legislators.
Co-Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi later pointed out that the legislators and the executive were over-stepping their lines of authority by seeking to interfere in operational issues.
No one has the right to direct the police in operational matters as long as they are acting within the confines of the law.
Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri is the man with authority over police operations and if there are problems with the way those operations are being carried out, they should engage the police and discuss without interfering with the police’s right to enforce the law.
We are happy to hear that the commuter omnibus operators have taken the initiative to speak to the police and the two have agreed to work together to ensure compliance with the law and at the same time curb police corruption on the roads.
In the end, the commuting public must not be disadvantaged by the actions of either party. It appears most commuter bus operators have problems meeting safety standards and the conditions of issuance of their permits. There is no way the police can turn a blind eye to such flagrant violations of traffic regulations, which endanger the public.
It also appears some corrupt members of the police are taking advantage of the failure by commuter bus operators to meet set standards to then corruptly exploit the drivers and conductors of these buses. We wonder if the requirements of the law with regard to commuter buses are impossible to meet. Are they clear enough so that police at roadblocks do not find flimsy reasons to induce bribes from the drivers?
The police and the operators must come to a point where they have a common understanding of the requirements of the law and the operators must meet them. Those that can’t must withdraw from the roads. For example, a common violation of the law is carrying more than the stipulated number of passengers. Operators seek to maximise their profits by overloading and then bribing their way through the roadblocks. Yet the fares they are charging are enough to ensure profitability.
Most of them are now charging a dollar instead of 50 cents and yet still insist on overloading.
In the days when Zupco enjoyed monopoly of the urban transport system, there rarely was any problem with police roadblocks. The corporate culture at Zupco ensured that it operated within the law and police did not bother shepherding Zupco buses.
But after the deregulation of the urban transport system we saw the entrance of the family owned commuter buses, accompanied by a sudden rise in violation of traffic and municipal regulations. In a way the operators invited police surveillance because of their tendency to cut corners.
What towns like Harare are crying out for is an efficient public transport system run by a professional corporate body.
This will completely eliminate the opportunists that are presently running most of the commuter omnibuses.
It is not too late to seriously think about the kind of urban transport system that our ever growing cities need.
Instead of the Executive and the Legislature seeking to interfere with police operations, they should be working to put in place a public transport system that will ensure that people get to work in time without loss of production and also get back to their homes in time to be with their families.
The traffic congestion in cities like Harare can be eased if fewer people drove into the city everyday. As long as cities like Harare rely on the present inconsistent and unprofessional transport system, cat-and-mouse battles between the police and the operators will remain. Corruption will continue to rise and passengers will suffer unnecessary delays.
But as an ad hoc measure, we applaud the talks to ease tension between the police and those operating kombis and hope the peace will hold for a while.