Zimbabwe: Ensure Harare Gets Proper, Efficient Public Transport System
11 April 2012
allAfrica.com - 10 April 2012
editorial
Harare needs a proper urban transport system based on buses and, in time, incorporating rail and metro links as the city continues to expand and development becomes more dense. So far two companies have expressed interest in providing this system in partnership with the Harare City Council. The council, in such a deal, has to grant a monopoly to the service provider, has to provide land for terminuses and workshops, has to lay out bus stops, and agree to the basic route structure.
The service provider owns the buses, with the fleet size dependent on the agreed service in the contract, and will operate these, hiring drivers and mechanics, route supervisors and the like.
The monopoly is required so that, paradoxically, services will be more complete and fares will be as low as possible.
It needs to be remembered that scheduled services, with buses travelling along a particular route at a laid-down time rather than waiting until they are full before they leave, means that on some routes at some times of the day the company will lose money, since the bus will have a lot of empty seats.
Category: Transport