Victory
MBABANE – The team probing the Satellite Bus Rank impasse, led by Bishop Stephen Masilela, has recommended that all public transport vehicles use the Manzini main Bus Rank with immediate effect.
Transport operators from the eastern part of the country have described this as a resounding victory.
Therefore, this effectively means that the month-long impasse emanating from the use of the Satellite Bus Rank by public transport from the eastern part of the Kingdom may come to an end at least for a year.
Masilela is the President of the Swaziland Conference of Churches.
The 13-member subcommittee, when presenting its report to Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini at the Cabinet offices yesterday, said the return of the public transport vehicles to the main bus rank should be a short term arrangement.
The premier said a short term could be period of a year.
Government had to intervene and hasten to set up the subcommittee after a two-week deadlock between the Municipal Council of Manzini and public transport operators over the use of the Satellite Bus Rank.
The PM, addressing the press conference, said the subcommittee was set-up after having realised that the lives of innocent citizens and properties were at stake as a result of the stand-off between the transport operators and the council.
The PM pledged that, as Cabinet, they would treat the report with the urgency it deserves in trying to ensure that the findings and recommendations were implemented accordingly.
He described the report as a perfectly crafted document and heaped praises on the subcommittee for having compiled it.
Dlamini assured the committee that the next step was for Cabinet to discuss it with the sole objective of finding a way forward.
The Bishop Masilela-led sub-committee noted that there was plenty congestion at the main bus rank including the streets to and from the rank.
"However, the congestion at the main bus rank is caused by improper and ineffective management of the facility by the operators themselves and the municipality," reads the report in part.
As part of the short-term plan in order to ease congestion, it has been recommended that through proper and effective management by the municipality and transport operators, the main bus rank should be used only as a drop-off and loading site, and not for parking purposes.
The committee, in its recommendation that the public transport should use the main bus rank, stated that:
(a) More exit routes from the main bus rank should be opened.
(b) The Manzini Municipality should hire a traffic logistics expert to look into how more entrance and exit routes could be opened to allow for a free flow of traffic.
(c) Second-hand clothing vendors presently situated below the main bus rank should be relocated to another place to give more space for the extension of the bus rank.
Major upgrade planned for main bus rank
MBABANE – The Manzini main Bus Rank might be upgraded into a state-of-the-art structure with two or three floors.
This is a long-term plan contained in the recommendations by the subcommittee tasked with solving the impasse between the public transport operators and the Municipal Council of Manzini over the use of the Satellite Bus Rank.
Bishop Stephen Masilela, when presenting the report before Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini yesterday, said the facelift of the main bus rank would allow the free flow of traffic as opposed to congestion - the obtaining scenario.
"The Manzini main Bus Rank should be properly planned and developed further by making it to be the state-of-the-art bus rank with two or three floors and several ground and overhead entrances and exit routes to allow for even distribution of traffic," the report reads in part.
King to get progress report
MBABANE – His Majesty King Mswati III will receive a progress report on the concerted efforts to try and solve the impasse between the Municipal Council of Manzini and transport operators.
This was said by Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini, the Prime Minister, when addressing a press conference at the Cabinet offices yesterday.
"We’ll definitely report to the King and nation once we are done with working on the report as Cabinet," he stressed. "Lives were troubled by the bus rank impasse as it involved owners of public transport, workers and vendors."
The premier lauded Their Majesties for having allowed Cabinet time to solve the impasse of the Satellite Bus Rank.
He hoped that the rest of the towns around the country would hugely benefit from the report by copying and implementing it.
The prime minister said the Kingdom’s authorities would be happy with the construction of the state of the art bus rank in Manzini. He, once again, lauded the committee for having made such a recommendation.
Comments
We thank the Prime Minister for his concern about citizens. Lokutsi even if he does not use the public transport but uyati kutsi kunatsi tsine betinyawo. Secondly babe Bishop and your committee your words "le satelite ayakhelwanga bantfu labadzala nalabagula ngalokubakhashane" siyabonga kutsi konkhe loko nikubukile. I stay in Siteki and work in Mbabane, if I board the 5pm bus nangifika kaManzini there is no way I will know kutsi the last bus has left unless ngiyoshayisa eSatelite sekumnyama. Lastly thank you Lubombo Transport Operators.
Jun 21, 2012, 9:23 AM, td dlamini (td@yahoo.com)
This is a wonderful report. Congratulations to the committee for achieving such a good job, it shows that there is hope for leadership in the nation. And I must add, not without pride, that Bishop S.T Masilela is my Bishop at the Church of God of Prophecy. He is a great man and the nation is blessed to have such leaders of his caliber.
Jun 21, 2012, 10:07 AM, Pastor Linda E Malaza (malaza.linda@gmail.com)
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