#TRANSPORTCRISIS
OUR
POSITION
ZPP calls on Zupco to effect a disability-friendly public transport system. Persons
with disability have continually endured having to pay extra for their assistive
devices like wheelchairs and Zupco buses and terminuses do not have ramps while
the staff have not been trained to be of assistance to persons with disability during
boarding and alighting of buses. This means persons with disability have to folk out
extra money to accommodate their assistive devices, and their movement.
BUS DOUBLE ROUTES
WILL IT WORK?
Recently, government announced that among the measures it would take to alleviate the
transport crisis, long distance buses would be required to take local intra-city routes
before and after their usual routes.
We demonstrate how this plan is not effective and we strongly urge government and the
relevant department to look at the issues we raise below as we believe that passenger
safety comes first:
1. DRIVER FATIGUE
Having drivers ply extra distances can adds further physical and mental strain on them,
which can have fatal consequences.
Only last year, Transport minister Felix Mhona said public transporters were notorious for
setting outrageous targets for their bus crews, a development that often results in
disregard for timetables and speeding
"Operators are also strongly urged to desist from the habit of over-working their drivers
which results in driver fatigue,” Mhona said.
2.DAILY BUS CHECKS
Busses normally need to be checked before and after a long journey. This requires time
and getting them to ply extra routes sacrifices this critical process, which is essential to
passenger safety
3. LOGISTICAL ISSUES
Creating double routes for busses will likely create logistical requirements that will delays
that will inconvenience the equally important long distance travellers.
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