2 000 die yearly: Kombi drivers to blame

Over 2 000 people are perishing in road accidents each year with public transport drivers contributing over 85 percent of the carnage, the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe has disclosed.

Speaking at the launch of the Urban Commuter Operators' Association in Harare, TSCZ managing director Mr Obio Chinyere expressed concern at the bad driving habits practised by public transport drivers.

'Most of the accidents on our roads are avoidable as they are caused by bad driving habits,' he said.

'Public transport drivers are at the forefront of turning our roads into lawless jungles and we urge commuter operators to thoroughly vet an individual before offering employment.

'We have one million cars in Zimbabwe and we are losing 2 000 lives every year due to accidents, but in Britain, for example, there have 35 million cars on the road and an annual accident death toll of 3 000.

'The statistics show that there is something wrong with us as Zimbabwean drivers.

'We need to exercise extreme caution so that we make our roads safer.'

Mr Chinyere urged commuter operators to create good working conditions for their employees.
In response, UCOA president Mr Simbarashe Ngarande accused commuter omnibus drivers of duping members of the public by unilaterally hiking fares during peak hours.

'It has come to our attention that the drivers charge US$1 instead of the gazetted 50 cents during peak hours and, as an association, we are looking at ways of curbing such unbecoming behaviour.

'It's worth noting that the money the crews make from overcharging does not get into the pocket of the operator as our daily monetary targets are calculated on the understanding that most urban trips cost 50 cents,' said Mr Ngarande.

However, in separate interviews, commuter omnibus drivers argued they overcharge with the blessings of their employers.

'They are aware that the fare rises to a dollar during peak periods. Do you think this (increase of prices) would have gone on for this long if we didn't have the blessings of our employers?

'The employers are the ones who encourage us to overcharge when demand is high,' said a commuter omnibus driver who plies the Mufakose-City route.

Comments