Times Of Swaziland: 100 KOMBIS SCRAPPED, WORKERS HALT OPERATIONS

100 KOMBIS SCRAPPED, WORKERS HALT OPERATIONS
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Sithembile Hlatshwayo on 16/02/2022 08:28:00


MBABANE – The scrapping of close to 100 unroadworthy public transport vehicles
has created hostility at the Mbabane Bus Rank.
The local kombis were removed from the road by public transport inspectors
during an operation which began on Monday and had to be immediately suspended,
following that public transport workers staged a protest halting operations at
the capital city’s bus terminus. Operations came to a halt after public
transport workers blocked the entrance and exit points at the bus rank,
rendering commuters stranded yesterday afternoon. This happened for close to 30
minutes as police officers tried reasoning with the workers who were demanding
that their kombis be allowed to operate and return to their different routes.
Complained
Among other things, the public transport workers complained that the terrible
road conditions were damaging their vehicles, hence the reason for them being
unroadworthy. Addressing the Acting Regional Commander Simangele Motsa and
Station Commander Superintendent Sabelo Dlamini, rank marshal Jabulani Dlamini,
said government needed to attend to the roads before rendering their vehicles
unroadworthy. Dlamini said the charges faced by the kombi drivers should be
dropped and they should be given back their documents until the roads in the
country were fixed by government. He said they were not against cars being
examined, but due to the condition of the roads, the public transport examiners
should not fine the operators after rendering their vehicles unfit. Instead,
they stated that they should allow the operators to fix the problems that had
been pointed out on the motor vehicle.
In response, the police chiefs stated that what was raised by the public
transport workers needed to be negotiated with the public transport examiner.
They said they (public transport workers) could not make conditions at this
point but should engage first the examiners and voice out their concerns. This,
they said, was because the motor vehicles had been found defective. However, the
police officers stated that they would negotiate for the return of the
driver’s licences and permits as the operators attended to their motor
vehicles.
Meeting
The police officers said they would be meeting with the public transport
inspectors to try and resolve the matter. Deputy Police Information and
Communications Officer Inspector Nosipho Mnguni, said examiners did nothing
wrong as they were doing their duty to examine public transport vehicles. Mnguni
said all those who had been found on the wrong were charged. She said police
could not allow public transport that was unroadworthy because by doing so they
placed the lives of the commuters at risk. She said another meeting would be
held with public transport vehicle owners to try and find a way forward.