Commuters are reportedly queuing for ZUPCO buses from 4.30 AM in some suburbs in Harare as the government is yet to allow privately owned commuter omnibuses to go back to ferrying passengers, South Africa’s Guardian reports.
According to the publication, the people they observed were at the bus station by 4.43 AM in this harsh cold winter already waiting for the buses that usually start operating 2 hours later:
Commuters are reportedly later on marked by a permanent marker to signify those in the queue in order for them to get first preference when the bus eventually comes.
One of the commuters Mairevei Mupombwi who spoke to the publication said:
My typical day starts at 3.30am where I have to warm my water to bathe and by 4am I am leaving the house. I wait for my friend and we walk together to the bus stop and it takes us about 30 minutes. The bus sometimes comes at 6.45am, and if it is late, it comes after 7am. It’s the same coming home from work. We have to wait in long queues. I get very tired, and during my off-days, I just want to sleep
Other commuters shared similar stories of how they are working up super early in this unforgiving cold weather to catch the bus that ferries them to the city centre where they work.
While the president relaxed lockdown restrictions, he has not yet given private transport providers the go-ahead to resume ferrying passengers to the City Center. Intra City Travel is still not allowed as well.
More: The Guardian
WhatsApp Group: 
Telegram Group:
In Chitungwiza at C-Junction, we are there as early as 2.30 am for those going to town while those going to Machipisa are there as early as 3.30 am but the city buses start at about 6 am and are usually not enough to ferry us all for us to be on time at work. After work, we can get home as late as 9 pm when having joined the queue when we knock off at 4.30.
Our other bone of contention is with the bus crews who sell tickets to travellers as they board the bus leading to wastage of time of about 15 minutes per bus. If, say, each bus makes six trips to town and six trips from town, then the time wasted per day is 3 hours parked in rank queues, that could have been used for travelling. Paasangers should quickly board busses and tickets sold along the way.
For myself i believe kombis should stay away there forever because by now we might have been paying almost 40bond one way ……………so its better to struggle trying to get those private cars with reasonable price than be charged those exorbitant prices
Norton we are at bus terminus @02.00hrs if you come @ 3 you may get late morning buses
In Norton we have to be at the terminus before 02.00hrs to be better positioned for 06.00. Its a great hustle