Harare, Zimbabwe – In a bid to enhance road safety and reduce traffic accidents involving kombis, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development has announced a significant policy change.
Effective from September 3, 2024, the radius-based restrictions for kombis will be reduced from 120 km to 60 km for new route permits.
This policy is part of a broader strategy to improve the country’s road safety measures. Kombis with a seating capacity of 26 or fewer will now be restricted to operating within a 60 km radius.
Commuters traveling beyond this distance are encouraged to use high-capacity buses, which offer more predictable, reliable, and comfortable services, especially for long-distance travel.
Additionally, all kombis operating within the 60 km radius must be equipped with speed limiting and monitoring devices as mandated by Section 3 (1) of Statutory Instrument 118 of 2023.
Compliance with this regulation is essential for obtaining a certificate of fitness. Law enforcement officers are tasked with ensuring that all kombis adhere to these requirements.
The Ministry has also expressed concern over the practice of kombis and unauthorized vehicles (mushika-shika) picking up and dropping off passengers at non-designated points, causing damage to recently refurbished road shoulders.
Enforcement officers are urged to ensure that all public service vehicles use designated bus stops.
Route permits issued before this new policy will remain valid until their expiration.
However, the Ministry will strictly enforce the requirement for speed limiting and monitoring devices on all kombis.
