Are private commuter omnibuses and taxis back on the road?
Claim: Public and Private taxes to resume operations on Monday, 22 June, 2020
Source: An online message authored by one Mkhululi Sangweni from the Zimbabwe United Taxi Association secretary general office date 15 June, 2020, claimed that taxi associations were set to resume operations on Monday 22 June, 2020.
“This memo serves to inform the general public and our association Members that following our meeting dated 09 June and 12 June 2020 with stakeholders at our offices we are pleased to notify you that the public and public taxis will resume operations on Monday 22 June 2020,” reads the message
Verdict: False.
In his latest update on the national lockdown on 12 June 2020, President Emmerson Mnangagwa did not lift the ban on private commuter omnibus operators and private taxis. Private operators were banned when President Mnangagwa ordered a national lockdown with only the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco) buses and commuter omnibuses in operation.
CITE also spoke to various public transport associations who said there were not aware of the directive.
Contacted for a comment, Expricoss Chairperson, Nsikelelo Ngangezwe Khumalo said he was not aware of the move.
“I am not aware of that, I only saw a message circulating and I wondered why we were not called on such a meeting as we also fall under meter taxis,” said Khumalo
“We are one of the leading taxi associations in Zimbabwe at the moment with over 100 taxis, I believe we would have heard such news so I think that certain individual is using social media to broadcast inaccurate information,” he said.
Nsikelelo Ngangezwe Khumalo
Tshova Mubaiwa chairperson, Atlas Moyo said they were in the dark on the development.
“We have not received any news on that,” he said.
In addition, Bulawayo United Public Transport Association (BUPTA) director Morgan Msipa, told CITE that they are still waiting for government’s directive.
“We are not part of that association; we are still waiting on Government to tell us the way forward,” said Msipa.
Background: Public and Private taxes were banned to operate by President Mnangagwa when he announced the national lockdown in the country against the global pandemic Coronavirus. Only Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) has been ferrying passengers since the beginning on lockdown in April. At the moment the country is under level 2 of the lockdown.
