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MBABANE – The Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) is combining forces with the Municipal Council of Mbabane to arrest the growing tendency by public transport operators to stop and load passengers along the streets.
By law, the operators are supposed to load passengers at the Bus Rank or along designated bus stops.
It was said that the illegal habit was mostly rampant along the streets that connect the bus rank with the exit routes.
The joint operation comes after growing complaints by members of the public.
Sikhombisa Dlamini, the Secretary of Hhohho Minibus and Kombi Association, when speaking on national radio last Friday, pleaded with all public operators to use the bus rank to avoid being arrested.
“The police and the Mbabane municipality have taken steps to ensure that all public transport ranking illegally in spots such as the Galp Filling Station, TEBA and opposite One Price Store will be arrested,” said Dlamini.
Dlamini said the violating kombi drivers and conductors said they loaded passengers in these illegal sports in a bid to make fast money.
He acknowledged that the Mbabane municipal and police were against this habit. Meanwhile, the secretary stated that the habit had negative consequences as some vehicles eventually cause accidents while scrambling for passengers. “Once they get arrested outside the bus rank that is none of our business because we have told them to do the right thing. Some of the kombi operators park their motor vehicle on the road, yet that is not allowed,” he said.
Dlamini discouraged members of the public from boarding public transport in places that were not designated for such purposes. Worth noting, last week four public transport drivers were arrested and charged for traffic offences related to picking passengers along the city streets.
Some kombi operators said the police officers were doing the right thing in arresting their colleagues for violating traffic rules.
Periods
They argued that the obedient drivers were losing business because they parked for prolonged periods in the bus rank, while the violators picked passengers along the streets.
A kombi driver who preferred anonymity said due to the high number of kombis and minibuses, some had been forced to go against the law just to survive.
Meanwhile, when one of those arrested was hauled to court last week, he was charged with the offence of contravening Section 67(1) as read with Section 122 (7) of the Road Traffic Act 6 of 2007. He is said to have driven a Toyota Quantum Mini-bus registered TSD 921 BH and stopped inside the road along Mdzimba Avenue Street. In another count, the accused person was charged for failing to comply with the condition of the permit by ranking at Chisanyama, at Chumana instead of Mbabane Bus Rank. When the charge sheet was read before court, the accused person pleaded guilty as charged.
Magistrate Zulu told the accused person that police officers did the right thing to arrest him since most kombi drivers were rude and drove carelessly in the public roads. She said they did not show remorse for their wrongs.