Pelandaba-Tshabalala Member of Parliament, Joseph Tshuma of the ruling ZANU PF party, has called on the government to assist the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) in rebuilding its fleet of buses.
This, he argues, would eradicate the proliferation of unlicensed “pirate” taxis, commonly known as “mushikashika.”
Speaking in the National Assembly on Tuesday, Tshuma emphasized the need for ZUPCO to acquire all-terrain buses that can navigate both paved routes and dusty roads. Said Tshuma (via Chronicle):
So, it would be a good thing if the Government capacitates ZUPCO with an adequate complement of buses as this will eliminate pirate taxis.
ZUPCO should be capacitated to buy more buses and they should buy buses that can operate in both urban and rural areas.
Some buses are meant for urban routes on tarred roads only. This needs to be looked into.
In addition to his call for the government to assist ZUPCO in rebuilding its bus fleet, Tshuma also implored the government to financially empower the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ).
Tshuma argued that by providing the necessary resources, the NRZ would be able to acquire new locomotives and passenger trains. He said:
The issue of rehabilitating our railway networks is quite important and will benefit our people. This is an issue that we have raised several times as Parliament that our roads are being damaged by large haulage trucks that carry heavy loads.
There is a need for alternatives through the provision of passenger and goods trains so that our goods are carried on locomotives.
There should be additional locomotives that ply different routes across the country. Looking at Harare which has quite a large population, there are areas like Chitungwiza, Norton, and Ruwa which are a bit far away from the Central Business District and need public transportation through the railway line.
Emakhandeni-Luveve legislator, Discent Bajila (CCC), has urged Parliament to explore alternative means of ensuring ZUPCO’s viability.
According to Bajila, the move to acquire ZUPCO’s debt has failed to produce the desired results, and a new strategic approach is necessary to revive the state-owned public transport company. He said:
We need now to find a means of making sure that ZUPCO is viable, because despite the debt assumption of 20 years ago, the Debt Assumption Act, making recommendations on reforms that were going to prevent Zupco from being in debt again, ZUPCO is back in debt.
We need to say as we think of recapitalising ZUPCO, we must find other ways because the old ways we have done of saying ZUPCO is in debt, let us give them money, they buy new cars, those cars got defunct.
Again, ZUPCO has problems, we pump money. It has proven that it does not work and the ZUPCO Debt Assumption Act of 2005 is enough proof for this House to consider.
More: Pindula News