Has ZUPCO withdrawn its services in some wards due to the poor state of the roads?

Claim: Ward 2 Councilor Joyce Ndlovu said residents were complaining about the poor state of the roads in Trenance claiming the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) drivers had threatened to withdraw their services in the ward.

Source: Cllr Ndlovu raised this concern during the full council meeting held on October 2, 2019. She said Bulawayo City Council (BCC) should provide gravel to patch roads in Trenance so that public transport operators can offer their services.

Background: She said ZUPCO drivers had given the ward 3days to put gravel in the road.

“As you know due to economic hardships, residents now rely on ZUPCO buses for transport. However, they said they were given 3 days to put gravel in the road as they are in a bad state.
“They said if potholes are not filled the bus will not use Trenance route,” she said
“Residents do not have finance that is why they rely on these buses, so I am pleading with the Authority to look into the issue,” she said.
Councillor Ndlovu said the Local Authority should address the issue as residents think councilors do not put forward issues they face in their wards.

Verdict:  Inconclusive Ward 3 Councillor said residents were complaining about pothole issues in the ward, however, she said the Local Authority responded swiftly and provide gravel to patch potholes in Trenance. She said ZUPCO is still ferrying people in the ward.

ZUPCO Bulawayo depot manager Gift Rukweza told CITE he was not aware of the issue.

“I was not aware of such news as we did not even see the Councillor in our offices since this is a government program.

“Residents have to know that if they do not see a bus on a certain day it simply means we will be having a shortage not because we are withdrawing services,” said Rukweza.