…as council, police fail to move them to Mucheke rank
Melinda Kusemachibi
Long distance bus operators continue to defy council directive to use Mucheke bus terminus as they keep using undesignated ranks with the Croco Motors pick up point becoming more popular as council fails to move them from the Central Business District (CBD).
Bus operators are shunning the terminus in Mucheke suburb opting for use of the CBD which seems to be convenient for most travelers in total defiance of City of Masvingo council resolution made in May last year.
During the full council meeting held on May 31, 2021 Mayor for Masvingo City Collen Maboke cited in his decree lack of ablution facilities in areas around the CBD which has become pick up and dropping off points.
These places include Croco Motors, Benjamin Burombo and Pick n Pay.
Contacted for comment, Maboke referred all questions to Town Clerk Engineer Edward Mukaratirwa as he said he is in a meeting and could not comment on the issue.
Engineer Mukaratirwa said that council resolution remains and council position has not changed.
“It is illegal for buses to continue ranking at undesignated areas. Our position as council has not changed, we are going to enforce our by-laws,” said Engineer Mukaratirwa.
Masvingo provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa said that motorists are the ones who ignore the no stop zone signs.
“As Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) we have noted with concern that motorists ignore the no stopping zones as they tend to park their vehicles at undesignated places. We therefore want to encourage motorists to avoid going against these road regulations and adhere to them religiously. As police, we shall continue to clamp down on such unruly motorists together with other stakeholders such as the local authorities’ municipal police,” said Dhewa.
Apart from the Glow rank, buses which commute to Morgenster and Nemamwa growth point pick up passengers near Pick n Pay retail supermarket, and those buses that pick up passengers to Chivi, Chiredzi and Mwenezi districts do so near government offices at Benjamin Burombo and are thus operating at areas where there are no ablution facilities.
The use of illegal pick up and drop points has seen ZRP and municipal police being involved in series of running battles with motorists as the former seek to enforce the by-laws and rid the town of undesignated ranks but the operators remain defiant and Mucheke rank has become a dark elephant.
