Some private commuter omnibuses are reportedly buying ZUPCO stickers from the informal markets which they put on their vehicles to enable them to operate under the guise of registered franchisees.
Only Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) buses and those operating under its franchise are allowed to operate during this lockdown period.
The fake stickers, which are of different dimensions are readily available on the market, with the cheapest set of the labels for a single kombi being sold for US$15.
A man who was carrying a stash of ZUPCO stickers in Highfield told The Sunday Mail that the emblem is all that one needed to be able to operate on the roads. He said:
The Zupco emblem is all you need for easy passage on the road. During peak hours, there are usually long, winding queues, so passengers use any form of transport that comes their way and rarely complain about fares since they will be eager to reach their destinations with little or no hassle.
ZUPCO northern division depot manager, Fungai Muchena admitted that the labels have no security features and as a result, it becomes difficult for passengers to tell which one is fake or genuine.
Meanwhile, a private contractor producing the ZUPCO stickers – Headline Communications – said they have since been given instructions to work on new labels with improved security features and work has already begun.