BUS OPERATORS DEFY COUNCIL ORDER
BUS operators at the temporal bus station on Kabengele road have defied an order from the Kitwe City Council (KCC) to move to Kitwe Main Bus (KMB) station.
The local authority had issued a notice of demolition of shelters erected by bus operators at the temporal bus station on Kabengele road in preparation to re-locate to KMB, but the bus operators have defied the notice and have continued to operate from the temporal bus station.
The council’s ultimatum expired on Wednesday and by yesterday, bus drivers were expected to have relocated to KMB, but a check by Daily Nation at the temporal station found the bus operators doing their usual business.
Kitwe Town Clerk Mbulo Seke said following the expiry of the ultimatum , the local authority will now move in to demolish the shelters of the bus operators at the temporal station at their cost.
“Yes, I can confirm that the council’s ultimatum expired on Wednesday and by today, Thursday, the bus operators should have moved to KMB, but we have not received the report of them relocating to KMB.
“So, in this case, the council will move in to demolish the shelters at the cost of the bus operators. This means when the council moves in, it will not just demolish everything regardless of whether it was useful to them or not,’’ Mr Seke said.
More than two days ago, the council issued notices of demolition of shelters erected by bus operators at the temporal bus station on Kabengele road failure to which the local authority will demolish them at their cost.
Mr Seke said only bus service operators requiring new slot or shelter at the Kitwe Main Bus (KMB) station will be prioritised while those with slots or shelters will at both KMB or Kabengele road will only need to move to KMB.
He said only Shalom, Royal, FM travellers, Kadema and Mazhandu bus service operators will be prioritised have no shelter or slot at KMB and will need the attention of the council to look for a shelter or slots to put up their booths.
He said other bus service operators like Mbwe Motorways, LG Travellers, Juldan Motorways, Likili Motorways, Scorpion , Power Tools, Peace Soldiers, Lashimu Bus Services, P Mwansa , Hard Work Investment and CV Transport have existing slot or shelters at both Kabengele road and at KMB hence require no new slot.