Patience Rashai

Government is set to deal with rural public transport blues following a public outcry over their intervention in the urban system which had become ridiculously expensive after Government’s upward review of fuel prices last month.

Speaking in the August House this Wednesday, Honourable Oppah Muchinguri who was standing in for the leader of the House said that Government was in the process of assessing viability of the urban model which they adopted last month before implementing it to the rural public transport system.

“The Government entered into Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) with local buses to assist with urban public transport woes which we have since managed to arrest, and are in the process of assessing the model’s viability to rural areas before then implementing it.

“At the same time we are still sorting out modalities on buses allocation to the many different rural localities, following the 500 buses secured by President Mnangagwa from Belarus,” she added. 

Meanwhile, the deputy minister for Transport and Infrastructure Development, Cde Fortune Chasi confirmed that plans were afoot to see rural transport blues easing by March.

“Government is in the process of working out plans to alleviate the rural populace mass public system woes which could see rural long distance bus fares reducing by March.”