Zebra Kiss back on the road as Rimbi bus opts for the courts

26 Jan, 2023 - 14:01 0 Views
Zebra Kiss back on the road as Rimbi bus opts for the courts

The Sunday News

 

Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter

THE Government has lifted the suspension of the operating license of Tashllyt Investments, trading as Zebra Kiss, after while Rimbi Bus Service will have to wait a little longer after it approached the courts in an effort to get the suspension lifted.

A fatal bus accident saw the Government suspending the operators’ licences for Rimbi Tours and Zebra Kiss last week.

The accident occurred at the 160km peg on Tuesday last week at around 4pm when the driver of a Rimbi Tours coach was trying to overtake a Zebra Kiss bus before hitting the rear end of a tipper truck which was travelling in the same direction along the Harare-Nyamapanda highway.

The lifting of the suspension was announced by the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development Felix Mhona in a statement today (Thursday).

“The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development wishes to advise the public that it has lifted the suspension of the licence for operation of all omnibuses belonging to Tashllyt Investments trading as Zebra Kiss. The lifting of the suspension follows the submission of comprehensive measures that have been put in place by Tashllyt Investments to avert such incidents in future.

“After a meticulous consideration of the submission, the Ministry is satisfied that the measures that have been mainstreamed by the Operator are adequate to checkmate recurrence of operational behaviours which can be interpreted as violations of terms and conditions of the licence,” said Minister Mhona

The Ministry said it will continue to enforce and monitor compliance with the terms and conditions of all operators’ licences, including measures against reckless and negligent driving. Minister Mhona said Rimbi Bus Service had approached the courts instead of engaging the Ministry and would have to wait for the court to decide.

“Rimbi decided to approach the administrative courts but for us it was a suspension. We were not revoking the licenses and our terms or what we highlighted on the suspension was a matter of compliance, checking and re-aligning.

“The good thing about a suspension is that it can be 24 hours or 48 hours but the assumption of the ministry was that the operator would sit and reason together with the Ministry but Rimbi decided to take the matter to the courts while Zebra Kiss decided to approach the Ministry from a holistic perspective.

“They took charge that they are responsible and they appealed to the ministry so that we take corrective measures. We had a number of issues that we continue checking, whether the drivers had proper documentation including retests, medical checks, maintenance of buses amongst a plethora of checks,” said Minister Mhona.

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