By Patience Rashai

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has commissioned 76 new ZUPCO buses at Bulawayo City Hall car park, a move meant to counter the arbitrary and exorbitant fares charged by private players in the transport business.

Speaking during the occasion, President Mnangagwa indicated that 500 more were yet to be delivered adding that the commissioned buses would service rural provinces of Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South while the remainder would service the rest of Bulawayo.

“This move is a milestone towards addressing the plight of the commuting public and Government will continue on this course till most routes (rural and urban) have been serviced.

 “Five hundred more efficient buses are coming from China, Belarus and South Africa. Government will continue subsidising ZUPCO fares so that they are affordable to all,” said President.

Of the 76 buses, 70 are Golden Dragon buses which were sourced from China while six are Volkswagen (VW) buses which were sourced from South Africa.

Buses expected from Belarus are all terrain buses which are going to mainly service rural routes. Of the 500 buses expected from Belarus, 200 will be handed over as fully assembled vehicles, while 300 will be assembled in the country in partnership with AVM Africa as Government enhances efforts to create employment.

The launch of these buses in Bulawayo is in line with Government’s thrust to decentralise its programmes having been previously launched twice in Harare at ZUPCO Belvedere depot in April and July 2019.

Commissioning of these buses comes at the wake of a collapsed public transport sector, which had left the public exposed to exploitative private commuter omnibus operators, a scenario Government intends to put an end to.