KOMBI OWNERS CLASH OVER BUS RANK CONGESTION

MBABANE – While the country is still fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, kombi owners are at each other’s throats following that all vehicles have been recalled to operate. 

This has resulted in a commotion at the Mbabane Bus Rank, where drivers servicing Sidwashini-Checkers and Sandla routes, who are against the idea of having all kombis at the bus rank, caused a stir, demanding that some vehicles should not operate.

Pandemic

The drivers are not comfortable with the arrangement, especially because the country is still combating the virus, adding that the vehicles were causing a congestion.

They stated that the vehicles were causing congestion at the bus rank, something that also placed their lives at risk. According to the drivers, the rank was a breeding ground for COVID-19. 

Thabo Dlamini, one of the kombi owners, said there were around 85 vehicles that serviced the Sidwashini-Sandla and Checkers routes. Dlamini said currently, there was little business following the closure of Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, CIT College and schools. 

He said their prior arrangement of having two groups servicing within this route, was a better plan for them as they cashed around E500 a day. 

He said following that all vehicles had been recalled, there was nothing they would cash yet with the same money they were required to service the vehicles and bank loans. 

Dlamini said the kombi owners did not see eye-to-eye as there were two factions, adding that at times, they heard of meetings which were held in secret and decisions from those meetings taken without their involvement.  According to Dlamini, COVID-19 regulations were breached due to the fact that their executive was not supportive. 

“We pay E10 as a rank fee and we need to be provided with sanitisers free of charge,” argued the drivers. 

Further, they noted that the sanitisers were sold at a high price by their office. Kwanele, who is also a kombi driver, said chances of contracting COVID-19 were very high following the current arrangement. Kwanele said they would fight for their rights as drivers.

Swaziland Local Kombi Association (SLKA) member Sabelo Dlamini said government had issued a gazette allowing all vehicles to operate, hence it would be criminal for them not to follow such. Dlamini said they had been served with summons and claims by the vehicle owners that they had placed their business at risk by not allowing them to operate following the gazette issued by government. “We have about three claims and two letters of demand,” he said.

As a local kombi association, Dlamini stated that they had distanced themselves from grouping the vehicles but that was in the hands of the owners. He advised that drivers who were in disagreement with the current arrangement should engage with their bosses, who were the vehicle owners.

Prices

Dlamini said they were selling the sanitisers at affordable prices so that they did not run short. 

He said with what was going on at the bus rank, where customers were not sanitised and the vehicles as well, the law would be enforced as they risked the passengers’ lives. Dlamini advised passengers to report kombis that did not follow the COVID-19 guidelines. 

“It is the right of the customer to demand being sanitised,” he explained.

He said most kombis had the sanitisers but were saving costs.

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