The Sunday News
Sijabuliso Nyoni, Sunday News Reporter
SOME commuter omnibus operators in Bulawayo have hiked fares from $5 to $7 per trip citing increased cost of fuel on the black market.
Bulawayo has been experiencing serious fuel shortages over the past few weeks resulting in most motorists resorting to access the commodity on black market where five litres of petrol is going as much as $140 or R100.
The number of Zupco buses which cost $1 per trip has also gone down due to fuel shortages,
Sunday News observed that commuter operators plying routes in most western suburbs were now charging &6 or $7.
On Tuesday morning, commuters in Pumula had to queue for several hours waiting for the subsidised buses after the operators hiked the fares.
However, Tshova Mubaiwa co-operative chairman Mr Atlas Moyo said they were yet to adjust the fares.
“We have not changed our prices for our transport services, we are still pegged at the previous price of $5, when we are changing our prices for Kombi fares, we inform our stakeholders through a formal letter,” Mr Moyo said.
He said some of the so-called fare increases were being fueled by touts who are after defrauding passengers.
“This is the bad behaviour of these boys, they are doing what they want. If you ask the owners of the kombis, they might not be getting money equivalent to $7 because when the drivers cash in, they say they are still charging $5.”
