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Senior Reporter

Government has with immediate effect, lifted the suspension of the operator’s licence of all buses belonging to Tashllyt Investments, better known Zebra Kiss, which was recently suspended following a fatal bus accident at the 160km peg along the Harare-Nyamapanda highway.

Following the accident, Government then suspended the operators’ licences for Rimbi Tours and Zebra Kiss.

The driver of a Rimbi Tours coach was trying to overtake a Zebra Kiss bus before hitting the rear end of a tipper truck which was also travelling in the same direction along the Harare-Nyamapanda highway.

The suspension meant that the operators’ buses had to be withdrawn from all the routes they were plying and only resume operations once authorities had reviewed the situation and satisfied themselves that they were fully compliant with the terms of the law.

 Zebra Kiss, which is owned by Mr Tangisai Mapuranga, then complied with the government’s requirements while Rimbi Tours, which is owned by Mr Decent Rimbi, decided to approach the courts for recourse, prompting authorities to await the outcome of the legal case before they can consider lifting the suspension.

In a statement yesterday, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona, confirmed that they had lifted the suspension of Zebra Kiss after he met all the requirements.

“The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development wishes to advise the public that it has lifted the suspension of the licence for operation of all omnibuses belonging to Tashllyt Investments trading as Zebra Kiss. The lifting of the suspension follows the submission of comprehensive measures that have been put in place by Tashllyt Investments to avert such incidents in future.

“After a meticulous consideration of the submission, the Ministry is satisfied that the measures that have been mainstreamed by the Operator are adequate to checkmate recurrence of operational behaviours which can be interpreted as violations of terms and conditions of the licence. 

“The Ministry will continue to enforce and monitor compliance with the terms and conditions of all operators licences,  including measures against reckless and negligent driving,” he said.

Zebra Kiss will resume plying the Harare-Nyamapanda route while Rimbi Travel and Tours remain suspended.

Earlier on, Minister Mhona had said that they have invoked the powers of the Commissioner of Road Transport to cause suspensions of operators who breach the terms and conditions under which their permits and licenses were issued.

He said the Road Motor Transportation Act (Chapter 13:15), empowers the Commissioner of Road Transport to suspend the operator’s license where it appears that there is disregard of the terms and conditions of the licenses.

“I have directed that this provision be implemented consistently, with the view to weed out all errant operators from our roads. 

“Allow me to go back to my earlier illustration of those who wantonly cause accidents by disregarding the rules. Some of them in the same category include deploying faulty and unsafe vehicles, recklessly driving unregistered vehicles to escape liability, overloading, negligent driving, over speeding, touting and other breaches.

“We have witnessed devious tactics by those who would have been suspended. They engage their affiliation to denigrate the authorities for suspension of their licences without paying due regard to the plight of survivors and victims of the road crushes they cause. 

“The Operators’ Associations we think are established to also uphold the needs of the passengers which give them business usually jump to the unjustified defence of their operators. 

“Worse still, when they do this, they disappear when the need to support the victims and bury those who would have lost lives and leave it to the same State to declare a state of national disaster to enable Government to provide state assisted funerals,” Minister Mhona said.

He said surprisingly, what the operators were capable of was to complacently and arrogantly engage expensive lawyers to ensure that Government uplift suspensions for them to come back to the roads to kill and maim citizens.

“Those who do so be warned that Government will not be a spectator to such. It is in the national interest to ensure and guarantee the safety and well-being of members of the public,” Minister Mhona said.

Efforts to get comment from Zebra Kiss owner Mr Mapuranga were fruitless as his mobile phone was unanswered.

 Zimbabwe Passenger Transporters Organisation (ZPTO) chairman Dr Sam Nanhanga also said they had suspended the two operators from the organisation but however they would soon discuss the new developments on Zebra Kiss.

“We had suspended both of them from the organisation but however we will discuss his (Zebra Kiss) suspension provided that they comply with issues that we had considered so that we can readmit them,” he said. Dr Nanhanga said he was happy to note that Zebra Kiss had complied with the government’s requirements.

“If they (Government) have seen and prove him fit, it’s a welcome development and we will welcome him back on the road.

“However I would want to urge all the bus operators in this republic that we should avoid speeding though it haven’t been approved by government that, what speed limit should we follow because the speed limit of this country is 80km per hour. 

“But we have proposed as an association and after doing our consultations that we must not exceed 100km per hour but that is pending approval of government,” he said.

He said the whole of SADC the maximum kilometres for buses is 100km per hour and they had since warned their drivers that whoever surpass that speed will be taken to the police for the law to take its course.