Rank barons collect over US$300 000 per week

Rank barons are reportedly collecting between them over US$300 000 per week from more than 3 000 registered transport operators at bus terminuses and ranks in Harare alone, enough to fund high quality terminuses and proper supervision, as touts continue to dominate services.

The touts and rank barons are reportedly collecting up to US$300 000 per week from all kombis, across different associations and from the independents who do not belong to any association.

This is achieved by collecting between US$1 and US$3 from each kombi for a minimum of five daily trips, with the amount charged dependent on the time of day and the demand from passengers. Some suburban rank touts have positions where passengers congregate and they grab ZiG20 if they load passengers.

Greater Harare Association of Commuter Operators (GHACCO) secretary general Mr Ngoni Katsvairo, whose organisation is one of the two largest associations of operators battling to have a properly regulated public transport sector, said it was sad that all terminuses and ranks were being controlled by touts. The criminals could be collecting over US$1 million per month.

“They collect at least US$2 and up to US$5 per trip depending on route. Most kombis do four to five trips per day from the rank thus almost $1million is being lost to these space barons per month, money which can be used to upgrade our fleet or develop the ranks like putting up security cameras, abolition facilities, repairing rank tarmac, sheds and lighting,” he said.

“As GHACO we have about 1 200 kombis but all ranks in the CBD are occupied to full capacity by 3 000 public service vehicles affiliated to various associations.”

He also appealed to relevant authorities to quickly take action as the passengers of legal kombis were now resorting to mushikashika as they are being victimised by the very same space barons that have invaded ranks.

“It is our wish that ranks be controlled by associations and their employees who have their vehicles in ranks.

“They should do this in conjunction with council enforcement. This is the only lasting solution to bring order and sanity in the public transport sector.”

Mr Katsvairo said rank barons were too powerful, to the extent that if one refused to pay them, they will not be allowed to load passengers for their next trip.

“We proposed that council should deploy their municipal police while police does the same to support legal operators and stop these criminals.”

Out of all the 30 associations registered by the Ministry of transport countrywide, there are reportedly just 10 effective associations operating in Harare.

The Zimbabwe Union of Drivers and Conductors (ZUDAC), the other major association in Harare, weighed in saying rank barons must be flushed out.

“We are suffering from sins we do not commit because we have rank barons operating like the notorious land barons. We are not happy at all, as they are imposing fares on us, and we are waiting for the council to intervene,” said ZUDAC president Mr Shadreck Maguramhenga.

He said that there are about 1 000 kombis operating under his organisation. ZUDAC and GHACO between them represent the owners of around two thirds of the registered kombis on the road.

“Under our association, we have 700 vehicles that are operational and have the necessary papers, while 300 vehicles are currently broken down or do not have the required papers and are waiting to be attended to.”

Just opposite Town House, along Leopold Takawira Street, there is an illegal rank where pirate taxis that usually ply the City-Avondale route operate from, and despite the city’s occasional blitz operations, these pirate taxis seem to be spared from the crackdown.

Similarly, at the corner of Robert Mugabe Road and Mbuya Nehanda Street, an illegal pirate kombi rank operates with apparent “diplomatic immunity”, allowing fleeing kombis to evade arrest by municipal police, with its controllers unknown.

When contacted for comment, Harare City spokesperson Mr Stanley Gama denied the allegations, blaming associations for working in cahoots with rank barons.

“The issue of rank barons is tricky,” he said.

“Some rogue associations themselves are cultivating this vice. Some of these barons are affiliated to the associations.”

He also claimed that none of the associations had made a formal report to the police.

“We have asked associations to disown these people by not paying them money. If forced to pay they are supposed to report the cases to the police who are more than willing to react and arrest the culprits… no reports have been received by the police or by municipal police.”

The council believes that 9 000 kombis, out of the more than 12 000 believed to be operating in Harare, are illegal to some degree.

According to the Harare City Council, there are over 12 000 kombis operating in Harare with only about a quarter properly registered through tansport operators. The Herald