Kombi operators threaten to hike fares

Source: Kombi operators threaten to hike fares – DailyNews Live

Farayi Machamire      4 March 2017

HARARE – Kombi operators have warned they will hike fares if government
forges ahead with plans to introduce urban tollgates.

This comes after Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere on Monday
said plans were at an advanced stage to erect the urban plazas soon.

“Unless they exempt public transporters like South Africa has done, we
cannot absorb anymore costs,” Greater Harare Commuter Operators
Association (Ghaco) secretary-general Ngoni Katsvairo said yesterday.

“Because of the bond notes issue, there are now two prices for spare
parts, one for bond notes and one for US dollars.

“Tyres have also gone up from $70 to $130 since the introduction of bond
notes. Statutory Instrument 64 of 2016 – which is meant to protect Dunlop
who are importing tyres from Dunlop South Africa rather than making them
here – is not reducing the prices.”

He argued that motorists were already overburdened with road tax and
highway toll fees at a time road rehabilitation has remained elusive.

Addressing local councils and engineers this week, Kasukuwere said the
introduction of urban tollgates will resolve the issue of the dilapidated
roads.

“We have started to work on urban tollgates,” Kasukuwere said.

“We are meeting with stakeholders beginning today . . . we are moving to
secure funding.  These tollgates will help fund-raise for cities’ roads
rehabilitation programmes. You pay your $0,50 and the roads also get
fixed. The cities roads are a disaster. We are not going back.”

Urban tollgates are facing resistance. Ratepayers have said government
must first account for money the Zimbabwe National Roads Authority
(Zinara) collected from vehicle licences and ensure transparency in its
use before introducing urban tollgates.

Government in 2010 took over management of vehicle licence fees and gave
Zinara the mandate to administer the funds.

However, the parastatal has been accused of mismanaging the money and
starving local authorities of their statutory allocations.