GWERU City Council has come up with a number of demands to public transport operators wishing
to service various routes in the city.
The local authority has threatened to impound all commuter omnibuses that do not comply with the
requirements, with all operators expected to have complied this weekend.
In a notice to public transport operators in Gweru, the local authority said it was illegal to operate
without a route specification letter and parking disk from council, which is the local planning
authority.
Council has urged all operators without route specification letters to regularise with council.
Those who want to apply are advised to bring application letters, US$119,60 application fee for 18-
seater and US$143,52 for 36-seaters.
The local authority also requires operators' licence, passenger insurance, vehicle insurance, vehicle
registration book, parking disc, rates clearance, certificate of fitness and proof of residence.
“Council will not hesitate to take all the necessary measures against non-compliant operators after
expiry of the said grace period.
“Mushikashika operators will not be spared in the process of bringing sanity to the city public
transport management,” the local authority said in the notice.
Council also reminded public transport operators that approved parking spaces are at Kudzanai and
Old TM ranks as well as the First Street ranking space.
Gweru spokesperson Vimbai Chingwaramusee said the move was aimed at bringing sanity in the
city.
“We have noticed that a lot of transporters are operating illegally parking at undesignated areas and
as a local authority we want to make sure that they abide to the law through our town planning
section.
“The time we have given them is adequate because they know they should abide by these
regulations but they have not. One week notice is adequate,” she said.
A number of public transport operators interviewed by The Times said council was asking for too
much and was overstepping its mandate.
“They have become another Vehicle Inspection Department or Zimbabwe National Road Authority,”
one operator said.