Harare,  (New Ziana) – Commuter omnibus operators in Harare must register their vehicles to avoid confrontations with law enforcement, national police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi has said.

Commissioner Nyathi expressed concern that of the 16,000 commuter omnibuses operating on Harare’s roads, only 3,000 were lawfully registered. “For Harare alone, we have close to 16,000 commuter omnibuses, but only 3,000 are registered. The rest are playing hide and seek with the law, despite the government putting regulatory mechanisms in place to help people get into business. However, they refuse to comply,” he said.

The unregistered omnibus operators are reportedly refusing to pay registration fees and are using routes that allow them to avoid police roadblocks.

“They want to take money, put it in their pockets, with no regard for the safety of Zimbabweans and no compliance with the law,” Commissioner Nyathi added, urging public transport operators to obtain the necessary licenses.

“First and foremost, kombis must be registered, and the operators must lead by example in their operations by being responsible Zimbabweans,” Nyathi said.

He also warned commuters against boarding unregistered public transport. “It is in the public’s best interest not to board these vehicles because they are not insured. It’s unfortunate that every time there is a fatal accident, the government has to provide funds through the Ministry of Local Government and other relevant government bodies to cover funeral and medical expenses. Meanwhile, someone operating an unregistered business is pocketing the money, contributing nothing to the government,” Nyathi said.

He urged the public to only board registered vehicles for their own safety and the safety of their families.

New Ziana