Radio Dialogue Giving you a voice
Commuter omnibus drivers and conductors have welcomed the move by Bulawayo City Council to introduce public relations courses for them yet objecting against the requirement that transporters should form one company to operate on the city’s roads by April.
Council seeks to improve treatment of passengers by Kombi crews. However, Vincent Nhliziyo, a driver told Radio dialogue that as operators they are opposed to the policy which forces them to form a single company.
Nhliziyo said this will create administrative problems.
“I don’t see how we can come together under a single company because all these Kombis are owned by individuals and its very tricky how we can come together,” said Nhliziyo.
He said they are determined to engage council through their association (Bulawayo Public Transporters Association) to find common understanding. Another operator Mduduzi Mguni said they are willing to cooperate with council on public relations training but said it would be difficult to unite all operators under one umbrella.
He said: “We are aware that some of our members are very rude to passengers and indeed they need some form of training to improve their customer care skills. But to say we also need to form a single company is problematic.”
The local authority anticipates that the policy might be signed and implemented in April.
Council started formulating the public transport policy last year to ensure a safe and efficient transport system. The policy is aimed at, among other things, reduction of accidents caused by defective vehicles and eliminating abuse of passengers by rude kombi crews.
