The Sunday News
Nozibelo Maphosa, Sunday News Reporter
ANOTHER commuter omnibus co-operative, the Bulawayo City Transit Trust has started providing free transport to bereaved residents from Nkulumane.
Bulawayo City Transit joins Tshova Mubaiwa and Bulawayo Public Transport Association which started offering free transport to bereaved families in August last year in most suburbs in the city. Bulawayo City Transit Trust operations manager Mr Mlisa Sibanda told Sunday News that the organisation chose to assist residents as a way of giving back to the community,
“Because we are in the transport business and we understand that it can be a problem to organise transport for a funeral, we came up with an idea of giving our residents two cars to carter for their transport needs when they are burying their loved ones. The transport is free, we fuel up the cars and give them two drivers who will drive them to and from the cemetery,” said Mr Sibanda.
He said residents are supposed to advice their councillor about the funeral arrangements so that he gets in touch with the organisation.
“We urge the residents to notify their councillor or the chairperson of the residents association about the funeral and also tell them the burial date so that we arrange two kombis for them. We feel obliged as an organisation to be assisting residents from this cluster, we feel like it’s our responsibility to help them,” he said.
Mr Sibanda said they chose to assist residents from the Nkulumane zone because that is where they operate from. “We are mostly operational in Nkulumane, Emganwini and Nketa, and because these people are the backbone of our business, it is our way of of showing appreciation and it only feels proper to be with them in their time of need,” he said.
