This comes after his decision to have Zimbabwe United
Passenger Company (Zupco) as the sole public transporter badly backfired.
Zupco has been enjoying monopoly in the transport sector
since 2020 after the government gazetted Statutory Instrument 83 of 2020
putting a blanket ban on commuter omnibuses on the pretext of enhancing Corona
virus lockdown measures.
In a hastily prepared speech to counter today’s purported ,
Mnangagwa said the government would introduce a law allowing private
operators to operate and import public
transport vehicles duty free.
“Government is proceeding to open up the public transport
system for other players in order to complement the services being provided by
Zupco, in line with the reduction in COVID-19 cases and the subsequent opening
up of the economy,” Mnangagwa said.
“To complement the above measures, the government will
allow for the duty-free importation for a period of 12 months for vehicles
which meet regulations to be issued. The liberalisation of the public transport
system shall be done under terms and conditions to be published by the
government,” he added.
Zimbabwe Passenger Association president Tafadzwa Goliati
welcomed the move saying the Zupco monopoly was inconveniencing the commuting
public.
“The move was long overdue. We thank the President for
finally seeing the light. Passengers were waiting for more than two hours in
the queue and productive hours were being lost. The economy has since opened up
and transport is an integral part of the economy. There is a need for adequate
transport for everyone,” Goliati said.
Describing the Zupco monopoly as unsustainable the Zimbabwe
Union of Drivers and Conductors president Frederick Maguramhinga said: “Zupco
has no capacity to service all routes that is why the transport crisis has
reached a tipping point. With the opening up of its monopoly; transport
challenges will be a thing of the past.” Newsday
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