Mbare Musika sets the pace with upgrade Jacob Mafume

Blessings Chidakwa and Ivan Zhakata

GOVERNMENT has applauded developments that are being carried out by bus operators at Mbare Musika bus terminus.

Upon completion, the terminus will be used as a model that will be used to develop other bus termini across the country.

Harare Provincial Development District Coordinator Mr Tafadzwa Muguti, Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume, council officials and bus operators toured the terminus to assess the infrastructural development at Mbare Musika so far.

Zimbabwe Passenger Transport Organisation (ZPTO), an association of 45 bus operators, in September erected a palisade fence around Mbare Musika long distance bus terminus and drilled two boreholes.

This is to make sure the place is well secured and has running water for people to wash their hands on entering and exiting the place

There was a demonstration of how buses will be fumigated and how passengers will be sanitised when boarding buses.

Touring the renovation works being done by ZPTO, Mr Muguti said there should be a massive control and a limited access of people getting into the terminus.

He applauded ZPTO for doing a marvellous job in renovating Mbare Musika and urged them to work closely with council and the police to make sure that the place is well secured and maintained.

“Mbare had been characterised by chaos over the years, but we are trying to unlock value in it. The transporters are doing a great job. They have so far spent over US$80 000 on renovations.

“Upon completion the rank is expected to service 300 buses daily. Essentially we want to adopt modern ranks like Park station and our own Roadport were there are centralised ticketing system, waiting bays, police posts, health bay and an adequate lighting system.” he said

Mr Muguti encouraged vendors trading at Mbare Musika to formalise their business.

“There is need for a strategy to modernise the way people are operating at Mbare Musika, there should be proper vending stalls so that council generates revenue,” he said.

Cllr Mafume said smart partnerships were the way to go.

“The transporters operate as a profit making organisation, we hail their stance to develop their working environment,” he said.

ZPTO chairperson Mr Samson Nanhanga said they were working hard to make sure that passengers are safe when boarding buses .

“There is a lot which needs to be done and we are making sure that we do it properly before the rank is opened.

“We are also going to agree with council on how the sheds will look like.

“We have handed over our initial plan to council and we are waiting for them to approve.

“Our first priority is to fight Covid-19. As an association we are looking into building ranks in major cities to make them safe for our passengers.”

Mr Shadreck Tiripano, the association’s treasurer, said buses will be monitored and sanitised before getting into the rank.

“Before Covid-19 we used to have 300 buses in the rank, but now we want to have a system whereby we will have a bus getting in and leaving after 30 minutes. We are also expecting to have 300 buses, but under strict monitoring,” he said.

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