Govt to phase out Hiace minibuses which do not provide necessary passenger safety|WestMac Media

By Staff Reporter, Lusaka 

Minister of Transport and Communication Brian Mushimba says Toyota Hiace commuter minibuses will not be allowed to operate after January 1, 2018 because they do not provide the necessary passenger safety. 

The Minister says Hiace minibuses originally where they come from are not used to carry people but are used to transport cargo. 

“We have come up with a situation where in the public transport there is this type of bus that; originally where they are coming from they are not used to carry people but they are used to transport cargo. So they come without the provision of seat belt. Because we a liberalised market, entrepreneurs have seen an opportunity to import these buses and fabricate seats and then they start to transport people,” says Mr Mushimba. 

Mr Mushimba has since urged bus owners to start procuring right buses with the right safety provision.  

He further said the response from bus owners was positive but consultations were still on-going with other stakeholders.