ZIMBABWE: Passengers Association of Zimbabwe (PAZ) has raised concern over the safety of Zimbabwe United Passengers Company (ZUPCO) white buses as some of them does not have insurance cover.
Since the government centralised Zupco as the only public transport to ferry passengers and phased out private kombis operations transport has been scarce.
PAZ National Coordinator, Tafadzwa Goliati said passengers are at great risk with white buses in cases when an accident occurs.
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“After doing our investigation as Passengers Association of Zimbabwe we discovered that all Zupco white buses without number plates are not insured at all and they don’t appear on Central Vehicle Registration (CVR) database.
“We travel at our own risk as if we are using pirate emergency taxis and lorries”, he told Transcontinental Times.
According to Goliati, PAZ conducted the survey on the passion of investigating the safety and recognition of the rights of passengers.
Scarcity of Transport
Despite COVID-19 measures that strictly call for social distancing, it has become a challenge to adhere to as people will be overcrowded at ranks and other undesignated places in search of transport.
The scarcity of transport in Zimbabwe has led people to board whatever transport available to reach wherever they are going.
“We have no choice as passengers, we just board what is available”, said Goliati.
Due to economic difficulties which have been spiralled by COVID-19, private commuter operators endure the agony of police attacks in a bid to bar kombi operations in the CBD.
However, passengers are left vulnerable to the attacks when Zupcos are not available as they will opt to board private transport.
