The Sunday News
Sisa Sihwa, Sunday Life Reporter
BULAWAYO’S Tshova Mubaiwa Transport Co-operative has distinguished itself as one of the city’s preferred transport operators by employing rank managers at its terminus to supervise daily operations and maintain order.
The rank marshals or overseers, as the management prefers them to be labelled, at TM Pick and Pay Hyper Market in Bulawayo operate on a daily basis by giving number tickets to commuter omnibuses that belong to the co-operative.
The co-operative’s public relations manager Stonius Moyo said: “Each and every vehicle under the Mubaiwa flagship has to obtain a ticket from the rank, before proceeding to the holding bay located at Belmont.”
Moyo added that each route stall had an overseer that was responsible for commuter omnibuses plying different routes.
“Rank marshals are responsible for the different routes, making sure that each is allocated enough vehicles at a particular time. For example, Luveve, Cowdray Park and Nkulumane suburbs each have a marshal. The rank marshals liaise with marshals at the holding bay in Belmont, whenever they needed more vehicles at the rank,” said Moyo.
The co-operative also has inspectors that are responsible for examining vehicle fitness, as well as the drivers’ and conductors’, general discipline, health and physical capabilities.
Mubaiwa operations manager Reason Moyo said the rank was open every day from 5am until the last man standing at the rank is ferried home.
One of the co-operative’s longest serving drivers Fortune Mpofu (47) said he had gained vast knowledge and experience from working under the Tshova Mubaiwa banner.
“I joined Mubaiwa in 1998. This was after I got my licence in 1992, I have been with the co-operative for 19 years and I have been equipped with various life skills that have taught me to respect people. We were taught that the customer is king and the customer is always right,” said Mpofu.
Added Mpofu: “The company also taught us to always be honest and return any lost possessions if ever we come across them in the vehicles we drive.
As employees we were also taught to be hygienic and clean, not only as employees but with our vehicles as well.” — @j_sihwa
