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Herald Reporter
Holiday travellers will this festive season have more options as one of the major bus firms plying the Harare-Bulawayo route, City Link Luxury Bus Company, has increased the number of its luxury coaches and effected flexible timetables.

City Link spokesperson Mr Gerald Matapure yesterday said apart from having the normal service between 7:30 and 2pm from both ends, a new service will be introduced for the festive season between 10am and 4pm.

The additional bus service is specifically for the festive season and is meant to ease congestion and help travellers plan their journeys with ease.

“We are playing our part to help travellers not to have hassles during this festive season,” said Mr Matapure. “We are quite aware that there will be congestion by travellers as they rush to reach their destinations and this extra slot will play a major role in ensuring smooth travelling.

“We are targeting the Harare-Bulawayo Road because past experience has shown us that there are unusually high numbers of travellers between Bulawayo and the capital during this season.”

Mr Matapure said the new slots of 10am and 4pm would have the bus service run through the main Harare-Bulawayo highway, serving major towns like Chegutu, Kadoma, Kwekwe and Gweru, while the normal service of 7.30am and 2pm will use the Chivhu-Mvuma-Gweru route to and from Bulawayo.

For the new route times, the fares will be slashed to $20 from the usual $35 as a way of giving travellers an early Christmas present.

Mr Matapure said they recently acquired new luxury coaches with air conditioners and many other features convenient for travellers.

The coaches are equipped with leather seats, reclining seats, foot rests, entertainment, curtains, individual reading lights and individual air-conditioning and they have a carrying capacity of 50

The travellers would be served a meal on the journey.

Mr Matapure said it was important for people to carefully plan their journeys to avoid inconveniencies and travel during the day.

He urged holidaymakers to take advantage of the slashed fares for the new routes.

“We are proud of our bus safety precautions,” said Mr Matapure. “We make sure that we have two experienced drivers on each bus for the safe travel of our passengers.”

The festive season is usually congested with travellers who jostle for transport, but the extra route times being introduced by City Link will come in handy.