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The first batch of buses is expected next month.
The company has already paid US$1 million for 65-seater buses from its own savings as a deposit and would retire the balance from cash raised from ticket sales.

This brings to 210 the number of Zupco buses that would be soon on the road.
Zupco acting chief executive officer Mr Alexander Chigwa at the weekend confirmed the deal, saying the first batch of the buses would be here next month.

The company has a five-year recapitalisation programme that would see it acquire 100 buses each year until it reaches the desired fleet of 500. “The buses are ready. They will be here in November. This is a phased approach to solving transport problems. We are looking at 100 buses every year for the next five years,” he said.

The buses will be shipped from China to South Africa. The new FAW buses have been modified to suit the country’s rough rural terrain and to correct deficiencies on the original FAW bus, which suited inter city routes.

The engine is now in the front as opposed to the rear while the buses are now built on the tougher lorry chassis. “The new bus is versatile. It is suitable for both long distance and inner city routes,” he said.
Mr Chigwa said the company was disposing of the bus shells that litter Zupco depots across the country.

He, however, said the company would retain some shells to use in rebuilding the broken down fleet. The development comes at a time when Zupco is streamlining its workforce because of lack of business.
Some 400 workers have been sent on forced leave.
Government last week approved the retrenchment of the workers, but Zupco is struggling to raise over US$2 million for their retrenchment packages.

In August, a former procurement manager, Mr Emmanuel Madry — who was fired for carrying his fuel allocation in a container — attached almost all computers and printers from the bus firm’s headquarters in Harare. He also attached two vehicles — an Isuzu KB250 formerly used by board chairperson Chipo Dyanda and a Nissan Navara — in a bid to recover US$95 000 in damages for unfair labour practice.

The attachments, according to Mr Chigwa, have crippled the bus company’s operations countrywide. Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Mini-ster Ignatius Chombo recently admitted that the Government had contributed to the near collapse of the transport utility owing to low fares that had resulted in the firm failing to maintain its fleet.

Zupco has over the years faced stiff competition from commuter omnibuses which had also resulted in most commuters preferring the latter. However, the commuter omnibuses have been blamed for causing accidents owing to speeding while some of the drivers are unlicensed.