Commuter passenger rail service is expected to start this afternoon with three routes at peak periods along the main east-west railway line through Harare as Zupco and National Railways of Zimbabwe introduce rail coaches to ease congestion in and out of the city centre to the eastern and western suburbs.
Similar services in Bulawayo are now being arranged. The
Harare trains are scheduled to start carrying passengers this afternoon and the
fare will be the same as those charged by Zupco buses and kombis on the same
routes, $60 a trip. Zupco is planning feeder services from the suburban
stations that passengers can use on the same ticket as the train, so there will
be no extra charge for the final leg going home or the initial leg going to
work.
The move, falling under the Government priority for a
decent, adequate and efficient public transport system arose after commuters
complained about the waiting period at terminuses in the early morning and
later afternoon when it became apparent Zupco and its franchise holders were
taking too long to move commuters at these times.
The reopening of schools has also added to the demand. People
had resorted to mushikashika and other illegal transport but the recent blitz
which sees passengers as well as operators fined had meant more people wanted
legal public transport.
Friday afternoon saw serious congestion at city terminuses.
Besides the rail service, Zupco is now on a drive to recruit more franchise
holders and has invited all owners of roadworthy buses and kombis to join the
fleet and is working with the police to see how buses can be given priority at
peak periods so as to speed-up turnaround times.
According to the initial rail timetables issued by Zupco,
the three rail services will run from the city centre to Ruwa, Tynwald and
Mufakose. The Tynwald route sees the coaches leaving Harare railway station at
5:45am and arriving in Tynwald at 6:30am with stops at Lever Brothers,
Lochinvar, Kambuzuma and Warren Park. It leaves Tynwald on the return trip at
6:45am and with the same stops arrives in the city centre at 7:30am.
The afternoon service on this route, with the same stops,
is a train leaving the city centre at 5:25pm and arriving in Tynwald at 6:10pm
with the return service leaving Tynwald at 7:10pm and arriving in the city
centre at 7:50pm.The other western service is the city-Mufakose route. The
morning service leaves Harare railway station at 5:15am and after stopping at
Lever Brothers, Lochinvar, Magandanga, Mufakose High and Torondo reaches
Mufakose at 6:10am. The return journey leaves Mufakose at 6:25am and arrives in
the city centre at 7:20am.
The afternoon service leaves the city at 5:30pm arriving in
Mufakose at 6:15pm while the return trip leaves at 6:30pm and arrives in the
city centre at 7:20pm.
The eastern route is the Ruwa-City service. This leaves
Harare railway station at 5:30am with stops at Hillside and Mabvuku before
arriving in Ruwa at 6:25am. It leaves that town at 6:40am and arrives in the
city centre, with the same stops, at 7:35am.
The afternoon service leaves the city at 5:20pm, arriving
Ruwa at 6:30pm and returns at 6:40pm arriving in the city at 7:35pm. The
Mabvuku stop is 15 minutes after leaving Ruwa or before Ruwa, depending on
direction.
Cabinet recently set up an inter-ministerial committee
chaired by Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo to look into
upgrading public transport and decongesting city roads.
It attributed congestion to the increased availability of
fuel on the local market and increased economic activities. This meant more
people were prepared to find the money to use private cars.
An adequate and affordable public transport system is used
in most large cities to make commuting cheaper, easier and quicker.
Minister Moyo is expected to issue a statement on the
partnership and on decongestion after Cabinet today.
Zupco chief executive officer Mr Evaristo Mudangwa said the
passenger trains will be operating during peak hours in the morning and evening
to ease congestion in the city centre.
“The advantage with this is that trains do not get affected
by congestion and they can accommodate more people than buses and kombis,” he
said.
NRZ acting public relations officer Mr Martin Banda said
yesterday railway management was involved in working out the details and full
details of the new services were expected to be communicated through Minister
Moyo.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and
Infrastructural Development Eng Theodius Chinyanga said Minister Moyo might
issue a statement today after Cabinet.
In a statement yesterday, Zupco said the deal was being
initiated in Harare and Bulawayo Metropolitan provinces and will spread across
the country following the serious congestion at its terminuses on Friday last
week.
“We have witnessed long queues on social media which
occurred on Friday September 3, 2021. Zupco became aware of the increased
demand that occurred that evening caused by increase in the hours of Zupco
travelling public by those who normally would have taken other forms of transport
especially mushikashika and a few who would have taken unlicensed and illegal
kombis; parents and children who had their last minute shopping for their
children in readiness for the opening of schools set for Monday September 6,
2021, and increased enforcement by law enforcement agencies led by the Zimbabwe
Republic Police in order to eliminate all forms of illegal transport,” read the
statement.
The company said it has deployed all the available fleet
but it took longer than usual to clear the travelling public especially from
central Harare.
In addition to the rise in demand from workers, there are
now large numbers of children going to and from school who will rely on public
transport. Zupco thus moved swiftly to see what could be done to upgrade
services.
Besides the train services, Zupco is also working on
priority for buses in peak hour traffic to allow faster turnarounds. Zupco said
it will be working with the police and municipal police who will do their law
enforcement duties and man congested areas such as roundabouts and non-working
traffic lights throughout the metropolitan area of Harare and other cities.
Zupco further said it was making another concerted effort
for those with roadworthy kombis and buses to come forward and register with
them so that it can increase the fleet especially in Harare and Bulawayo.
“We also appeal to those using their own vehicles to
observe traffic rules so that we don’t create unnecessary congestion and log
jams. This will inhibit the faster turnaround time for buses and kombis,” Zupco
said.
The company also appealed to the travelling public to be
patient as they restore the normal public transport system in urban areas.
Herald
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