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Bianca Leboho Herald Reporter
HARARE City Council has forged partnerships with local companies to upgrade the city’s bus terminuses. Council has failed to maintain the terminuses in recent years and has also done little to stop the vandalism of existing facilities by vendors and touts. Harare City Council spokesperson, Mr Michael Chideme, said terminuses that needed a major uplift included, Copacabana and Market Square.

He said a number of companies had expressed willingness to work with council in improving the termini.

“We are aware of the situation at bus terminuses,” he said.

“As such, we have already engaged in various partnerships with companies such as Olshevick Investments and in due time we will start the process of restoring and renovating all the bus terminuses in the city.”

Stakeholders, mainly the Passenger Association of Zimbabwe (PAZ), have repeatedly complained about the status of termini citing deplorable conditions which they claim have led to the mushrooming of illegal ranks in the city.

PAZ president, Tafadzwa Goliati, said the city’s poor planning was contributing to the “illegality” being done by commuter omnibus drivers.

“When things were being managed by ZUPCO, they were intact,” he said.

“The Harare City council promised to address the issue of refurbishing the terminuses, but they are taking ages and we do not even know when the problem would be solved. As it stands it seems the city fathers have no answers to problems affecting the city.”

Complaints by PAZ come at a time when a policeman was killed in a hit and run incident at an illegal pick up point along Robert Mugabe Road a fortnight ago.