The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Municipal Reporter
BULAWAYO councillors have called on residents to be patient and make do with the temporary commuter omnibus ranks and vending bays as the city did not have enough space to accommodate them amid confusion and traffic congestion in the city as well as lack of ablution facilities.
Speaking during a full council meeting last Wednesday, councillors said while they understood the confusion and complaints regarding the temporary pick-up and drop-off points in the city there was a need for residents to look at the bigger picture of a modernised Egodini Bus Terminus.
Commuter omnibuses and vendors were last month moved from Egodini to pave way for the multi-million dollar rehabilitation, with the first phase set to be completed within 15 months.
Ward nine councillor, Charles Moyo called for patience on the part of residents saying that once completed the project would not only accommodate more commuters, commuter omnibuses and vendors but it would bring out a fresh modern look to the city.
“People are criticising just for the sake of criticising but the fact is that council has no land, we can make all the noise we want but where do we move the kombis and vendors to other than the places we have moved them.
“Personally I feel this is the best decision we can come up with because we are saying while we wait for the Egodini Mall to be completed, let people move to these temporary sites. Please let us be patient, we all want this development,” said Clr Moyo.
A visit to 6th Avenue rank showed it was all chaos with the road impassable as commuter omnibuses block the road as they compete with private vehicles to use the road.
Outside Hyper, commuter omnibuses plying the Nkulumane 5 route have even slashed charges to 30 cents arguing that commuters are preferring Tshova Mubaiwa kombis that use the rank within the Hyper parking area, hence the price cut to convince them to board their commuter omnibuses.
Clr Norman Hlabani of Ward 26 said a lot of people have been looking forward to this project, now that it had started the least they could do was to support it rather than to further criticise it and throw spanners to frustrate both council and the contractor.
“We are in the process of building this city to be a better place through the construction of this Egodini Mall. Let’s be honest with each other, what other alternative ways were we going to take in terms of moving our commuter omnibuses and vendors while rehabilitation takes place.
“If we want something good to come out which is permanent we must have a temporary phase which is difficult, in this case being the cramming the commuter omnibuses and vendors in the few temporary places which we have identified,” said Clr Hlabani.
Ward 27 councillor, Siboniso Khumalo said there was a need for the local authority to address the issue of ablution and lighting at the temporary points as this was making people shun them.
“Vendors who used to make brisk business are complaining that the shift has led to loss of customers and are either shifting base into town or to temporary pick-up points where there are no designated vending stalls.
“Further, we need lighting and ablution facilities at these sites. We knew for over four years that these temporary sites would be used. What stopped us from making the facilities conducive? Someone is clearly sleeping on duty,” Clr Khumalo.
Vendors interviewed revealed that they were now recording low revenue and would soon resort to illegal vending areas to help boost their revenue.
Contacted for comment Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) executive director, Mr Michael Ndiweni said the decline in revenue was inevitable but there was a need for the local authority to play their part in ensuring the market is accessible to vendors.
“The decline of revenue comes from the fact that while at Egodini some of these vendors had created a loyal clientele, people who would purchase from them alone. Now at these new sites they have to try and reposition themselves hence the decline in revenue.
“However, another problem is that commuters are not reaching the temporary pick-up points as they feel they are far thus they board at illegal sites.
There is a need for the local authority to put in place mechanisms that will ensure that these people reach the boarding points so that the vendors can access them,” said Mr Ndiweni.
Responding to council questions, the city’s senior public relations officer, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu said the local authority was in the process of ensuring that all designated sites have ablution facilities. She said at the 13th Avenue and Lobengula Street site they were in the process of renovating the facilities there to add more toilet seats to accommodate the public.
Regarding the alleged decline of revenue being experienced by vendors and commuter omnibus operators, she said there were in the process of assessing and engaging the operators.
