NDOLA TRANSPORTERS FUME

…accuse council of unfair treatment

TRANSPOTERSand traders at Mulungushi Bus Station have complained of unfair treatment after a prominent bus operator was given a greenlight to construct an office complex at the public facility.

A group led by the bus station chairperson, Mwaba Mumba, sought audience with the Ndola City Council to air their grievances after Likili Bus Services embarked on the construction of offices at the station owned by the local authority.

Transporters and traders complained that Likili Bus Services was given the opportunity to construct offices and a bus shelter while the intra-city bus operators had not been given similar opportunities.

Mr Mumba said the operators did not want Likili to operate from Mulungushi because the company was an inter-city bus operator who should be given an alternative place to operate from.

He said the bus operators and traders were also angry that the developer destroyed booths at the station on Tuesday. But the Ndola City Council assured transporters and traders at the Mulungushi Bus Station that their concerns of unfair treatment would be addressed. Ndola Mayor Amon Chisenga told a group that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ndola City Council and Likili Bus Services would be reviewed in order to find a solution that would be fair to all parties.

The Mayor said the Council would look into the matter so that the concerns raised by transporters are addressed.

“I want to assure you, that we will review the matter because we need to ensure that people are happy. And for now, Likili will be told to stop any construction,” Mr Chisenga said.

Mr Chisenga said it was unfortunate that when Likili Bus Services started the construction the previous day, some mobile money booths were removed by the developer without prior notice.

The Mayor said the bus operators and the council should hold talks to find a good place where inter-city bus operators could operate from.

He said the council would not ask any inter-city transporter to vacate the Mulungushi Bus Station or any other place before finding an alternative place.