Gumbo warns ‘hanging touts’ 

Source: Gumbo warns ‘hanging touts’ – NewsDay Zimbabwe June 6, 2018

Transport and Infrastructure Development minister Joram Gumbo has warned touts against the practice of hanging on commuter omnibuses, saying police will arrest them.

BY Jairos Saunyama

Speaking at the commissioning of a Traffic Safety Training Centre at Hurungwe Primary School in Murewa on Monday, Gumbo said commuter omnibus operators should know that anyone who hangs on their vehicles can be sent to jail for six months.

“I want to appeal to the commandant of ZRP Murewa district not to hesitate to arrest and prosecute those people who hang precariously on kombis. I was shocked to see some of them standing on tow hitches on the highway, where kombis can gain speeds of up to 80km per hour or more,” he said.

“Section 58 of the Road Traffic Act (Chapter 13:11) is instructive in this regard. The penalty provision is up to $200 fine and or up to six months imprisonment.
Conductors and other culprits, you have been warned.”

Gumbo further urged the public to desist from boarding unregistered vehicles, popularly known as mushikashika, that have taken over major highways.

“As I drove here, I saw a lot of unregistered kombis parked along the Harare-Nyamapanda road at Murewa turn-off. I have noticed a number of people either waving down or boarding the so-called mushikashika vehicles. This is a disturbing development,” he said.

“I would like to urge the Murewa community and every other road user to shun such unregistered vehicles that are being illegally used to conduct passenger transportation business.

“I appeal to you, to use safe and reliable public service vehicles that have proper documentation including passenger liability insurance that is essential in the event of unfortunate cases of road traffic accidents.”

The schools training centre project is being facilitated by the Primary and Secondary Education ministry in conjunction with the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe.