By A Correspondent| In line with government thrust to make sure that Covid 19 regulations and awareness campaigns are adhered to, the Zimbabwe United Passengers company, (ZUPCO) has embarked on a vigorous passenger safety programme by making sure all their buses are thoroughly disinfectant against the virulent Covid-19 and the safety of their passengers are ascertained.
With the recent purchase of new fleet of buses, ZUPCO has embarked on a successful resuscitation drive that has seen its once ailing depots come to life with every city enjoying new fleet of buses. The Government to date has acquired more than 500 buses, and it has been a blessing to passengers who had been reduced to boarding unreliable and unsafe combis before the second republic took over.
The ZUPCO’s sanitization of passengers and temperature checks has been in existence since June 2021 and saw each bus terminus across the country manned by sanitizing staff as well as well equipped decontamination fogging personnel. Each bus goes a through a rigorous decontamination exercise by using Sodium Hypochlorite which kills germs, bacteria and viruses 99.9%. All passengers are enforced to make sure they are well protected and fully masked up. The ZUPCO conductors make sure that every passenger adheres to the Covid-19 protocols which are, restricting overcrowded buses, ensuring that every passenger is sanitized, every passenger has had a temperature check, every passenger is wearing a mask correctly. These measures have contributed immensely to a reduction of Covid-19 figures and contributed a lot in making sure the spread of the deadly virus can be manageable.
The Passengers Association of Zimbabwe (PAZ) has been in the forefront in making sure these safety programmes being undertaken by ZUPCO are and being implemented by the contracted companies.
VP sanitizing solutions, Pharmacure and Kusi chemicals are the three companies that are working with ZUPCO in making sure buses are disinfected throughout the country.
“We have made sure our personnel adhere to the Covid 19 protocols, firstly by making sure each and every bus from depot to terminus is correctly fumigated. Our mandate is to make sure the measures ZUPCO put in place are being followed through” said Mr Manuel Matsinye VP Sanitizing Solutions’ Operations Manager, one of the companies contracted to fumigate in Harare, Kwekwe and Mutare.
The ZUPCO Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr Evaristo Madangwa reiterated that, the safety of their passengers was of utmost importance and such initiatives have seen every ZUPCO branded bus, combi, railway coach going through this rigorous fumigation exercise to echo our motto of “safety first to our passengers.”
“We have taken a conscious decision of ensuring that we reduce the spread of the virus by ensuring that all passengers are protected and this fumigation exercise shall be part of us until the virus is contained or a cure is found.
Our personnel goes through orientation and Covid-19 awareness workshops. Such programs have increased awareness amongst our personnel,” said Mr Everisto Madangwa, ZUPCO’s Acting Chief Executive Officer.
The ZUPCO Covid 19 disinfectant exercise is in all major cities around the country and Passengers have welcomed it as they feel safe boarding the buses.
We are very much pleased with the ZUPCO efforts as we feel safe and it shows how the company values its customers. I travel on zupco every day from mzilikazi to Bulawayo cbd where I work and everyday I see the fumigators at work” said a commuter Ms Mercy Ndlovu of Bulawayo.
Our news crew’s visit to Harare bus terminus namely Market Square, fourth street, Rezende, charge office, Mbare Musika, Copacabana, National Railways main station as well as Road port fourth street and High glen was testimony to what the ZUPCO Management is doing in making sure all its passengers safety comes first as fumigators were busy undertaking their mandate of disinfecting buses, doing temp checks and enforcing proper wearing of masks.
The exercise is visibly being undertaken in Bulawayo, Harare, Gweru, Masvingo, Kwekwe, chinhoyi, granda and Mutare among other cities ZUPCO presence is.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care is impressed by this ZUPCO fumigation programme and urges ZUPCO to continue to escalate the fight against the spread of Covid-19 virus.