It is worrying that the Corona Virus pandemic might not end soon in this country due to transport problems faced by commuters in the major cities. During the lockdown, government banned the operation of Kombis and the transport situation has gone from bad to worse as most people are finding it difficult to find transportation to and from their work places.
The Zupco buses are not enough to carry everyone at their convenient time so to lessen this situation, people have resorted to hike private cars in which most of them will be overloaded.
Every vehicle has become a source of transportation for the desperate citizens. From an open lorry to a closed up truck, just like those ones used to deliver bread, people will be packed in there like sardines. How will we curb the corona virus in that situation?
The Zimbabwe United Passengers Association (ZUPCO) which was legitimized as the sole national transporter to ferry citizens to their destinations is no better as social distancing is no longer observed. A seventy five seat bus, is carrying seventy five people, whereas kombis are carrying eighteen people. If this lawful transportation is overloading why banning ordinary kombis?
The situation is worrying as corona virus cases have risen in a shocking way. Ninety eight new cases were recorded on Wednesday last week, 51 of them in Bulawayo.
On Thursday, 41 people from across the country tested positive for the dreaded virus. Right now Zimbabwe has recorded 926 cases and indications are that new infections may spike out of control.
