Outcry over hike in council route fees

COMMUTER omnibus operators have slammed Harare City Council for hiking operators’ fees some of which they say are duplicated, hindering the ease doing of business.

A City of Harare route authority costs US$143 per year and is almost the same as the one being offered by the Ministry of Transport operator’s licence that costs US$125 for three years.

Calculations show that commuter operators are forking out US$429 for three years for the duplicated document for which they are simply paying US$ 125 for the same period to the Government.

In an interview Greater Harare Association of Commuter Operators (GHACO) chairman Mr Ngoni Katsvairo said even the route authority as issued by the Government, costs US$75 per year against council’s US$143.

“The costs by the local authority are actually against the Government’s ease of doing business policy.

“We want to take the opportunity to thank the Minister of Transport for keeping the compliance fees at manageable costs in line with the Government’s policy of reducing the cost and ensuring the ease of doing business,” he said.

Mr Katsvairo said through the Government’s ease of doing business policy, they were allowed to resume operations as small players.

Harare City Council spokesperson Mr Innocent Ruwende yesterday justified the fee.

“As you may be aware, most of the ranks are in bad shape and the council requires funds to spruce up and modernise bus termini.

“We had handed over the termini to Zupco and they never took care of them. We are the ones responsible for providing services such as sprucing up bus ranks, toilets, waste collection so surely, the fees cannot be the same. It is a requirement that they pay the local authority and Government,” he said.

However, despite council claiming responsibility for sprucing up the termini, the situation on the ground shows dilapidated termini infrastructure, characterised by garbage and chaos.

Touts, who have virtually usurped municipal police powers, are also observed harassing passengers and collecting fees undue to them at law.