Zimbabwe’s Vice President and Health and Child Care Minister, Constantino Chiwenga, has lifted the ban on all licensed commuter operators with immediate effect. The ban, which was implemented in March 2020 as part of COVID-19 lockdown measures, only allowed state-owned Zupco buses and affiliated carriers to operate.
In a recent Statutory Instrument (SI) 213A, Chiwenga announced that transport services that carry passengers are no longer restricted and all laws regarding the licensing of these services will be reinstated immediately. This means that the monopoly held by the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco) on public transportation has come to an end.
The ban was put in place to enforce public safety protocols and reduce the spread of the virus. It is not clear at this time what impact the lifting of the ban will have on public transportation in Zimbabwe.
