The City of Bulawayo has begun implementing its Public Transport Policy, which had been postponed due to the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
In a statement released on Tuesday, November 5, Bulawayo Town Clerk Christopher Dube said the policy was originally approved by the Council on October 3, 2012.
He said the primary objective of the Public Transport Policy is to establish a safe and efficient public transportation system for the residents of Bulawayo. Said Dube:
The formulation of the Policy involved consultation with the Public Transport Operators, Commuters and other key stakeholders.
One of the major components of the Policy was the signing of Service Level Agreements with Transport Operator Companies operating in the City.
However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and suspension of operations by independent Public Transport Operators in March 2020, delayed the signing of the agreements.
With the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and the resumptions of operation by Public Transport Operators, the implementation of the Policy has gone back on track and the City of Bulawayo signed Service Level Agreements with Public Transport Companies on Friday, 18th of October 2024.
The public transport companies that have been approved and are recognized by the City of Bulawayo are Bulawayo City Transit Trust, BUPTA Limited, Bulawayo West Transporters Private Limited, Tshova Mubaiwa Transport Co-Operative Company (Private) Limited, and VUTA Taxies (Private) Limited.
The City of Bulawayo has since advised the public transport companies to take up their positions at the respective termini to enable servicing of their designated service areas.
More: Pindula News