#TRANSPORTCRISIS
OUR
POSITION
For the past two years, ZPP has documented the same challenges in the
transport sector and has proffered recommendations to Zupco and
government and unfortunately, most of the organisation’s suggestions have
fallen on deaf ears, and the situation has continued to get worse.
We once again, repeat our recommendations to government.
ZPP believes that the challenges in the public transport sector are not limited to the
shortages of buses. The challenges are linked to a myriad of issues, the first being the
attempts by government to create a monopoly which has promoted bureaucracy,
mismanagement, inefficiencies and corruption in the transport sector.
ZPP, which has continually monitored the public transport situation, has flagged various
human rights issues, which include but are not limited to the disregard for persons with
disability, sexual and other forms of harassment of women, loss of income for members of
the public who get delayed due to the transport crisis, among other things.
So, even as private public transport is set to return, the outstanding issues regarding the
longstanding mismanagement of Zupco still remain and these cannot just be swept under
the carpet as the public deserve to know.
ZPP believes that the challenges in the public transport sector are not limited to the
shortages of buses. The challenges are linked to a myriad of issues, the first being the
attempts by government to create a monopoly which has promoted bureaucracy,
mismanagement, inefficiencies and corruption in the transport sector.
ZPP, which has continually monitored the public transport situation, has flagged various
human rights issues, which include but are not limited to the disregard for persons with
disability, sexual and other forms of harassment of women, loss of income for members of
the public who get delayed due to the transport crisis, among other things.
So, even as private public transport is set to return, the outstanding issues regarding the
longstanding mismanagement of Zupco still remain and these cannot just be swept under
the carpet as the public deserve to know.
Government announced in January 2019 that Zupco was to engage private operators to be
part of its subsidy programme. Under this, private operators were to get subsidized by
government in order for them to operate. However, this has happened without any
transparency. Firstly, there has not been a clear criterion of who qualifies to be on the
programme and this has compromised the quality and standards of Zupco buses.
Secondly, government has not publicly disclosed the terms of engagement with the private
operators. In December 2019, 11 months after its inception, Parliament heard that the
subsidy system had cost the taxpayer ZWL$51 million. A lack of transparency is the
reason why the country has had an unabated, continuous public transport crisis for nearly
two years now. Once again, ZPP calls for transparency in the nature of subsidies with
private operators. ZPP also urges Zupco to ensure they enter into partnership with
operators who have roadworthy, disability friendly facilities and equipment. This is
because some of the buses under the Zupco program are just but ramshackles that just
got dusted up to enable the operators to benefit.
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