Commuters disgruntled over Council’s decision to ban kombis

By Wilson Kakurira Online reporter
Commuters in Harare have expressed disapproval of the decision by the Harare City Council to ban commuter omnibuses from dropping off passengers at ranks in the Central Business District. Kombis plying the western suburbs route were this morning dropping passengers near Harare Polytechnic College leaving commuters with no choice but to finish the journey on foot. This was the case for those being dropped off at Coca-Cola corner and other new drop off points.

Speaking to the Herald Online, Tatenda Chihwa a commuter said the decision by the city fathers is a sign that they are not concerned about the genuine needs of Harare residents.

“What the City of Harare has done is a sign that they do not care about us, the majority of us cannot even manage to raise the dollar needed for one to be in and out of town safely, this is not fair,” said Chihwa.

Thulani Masiya, a kombi driver also said that the decision by the City Council is harsh and it will affect the day to day running of business in Harare.

 

“It is unfortunate that the Harare City Council is not worried about what the generality of the people want; this decision could have been made in consultation with all stakeholders to ensure that everyone’s view is considered.

“You cannot change things overnight and expect people to be silent about it, as for us the transport operators it will be difficult to ferry our clients who are the commuters to and from work, remember we are also in business and our clients need to be dropped off at convenient areas so that they get to their respective workplaces on time,” he said.

Michael Chideme

Meanwhile, Harare City Council corporate communications manager Michael Chideme said it’s too early for  people to complain as the move will go on to decongest the CBD.

“This is the first day of this operation and yes it has its teething problems but we are very sure of success and we are very confident of participation of all stakeholders. Kombi operators are also playing games trying to incite a situation but as the city council we are forthright in what we are doing, we have faith in the program and we are happy we are decongesting the city.

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