Zimbabwe: Zupco Buses and AVM Africa Pvt Ltd are going to introduce a new transport system for the improvement of road traffic and resolve problems of the passengers.
Zupco Buses will establish 550 new buses that will include electric buses, which will run off batteries with both local and international firms that will currently start bidding to supply, supporting the government in improving the public transport system.
Zupco invited bidders to supply buses that will include:
- 200 intercity buses by 64-seater
- 100 rural buses by 64-seater
- 50 electric buses by 64-seater
- Plus, 200 mini-buses
Notably, the bidding process will close on January 26, 2024.
The Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister – Prof. Mthuli Ncube promised that this year, the Government has budgeted to procure another 1,000 buses over the next two years and the first batch of 250 buses will be expected to be delivered in the first quarter.
Moreover, AVM Africa Pvt. Ltd. has built a 120-seater bus to provide the most cost-effective solutions on busy routes. The buses are constructed to beat Zimbabwe’s urban public transport problems.
The us and truck body building company showed this to the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Dr Sithembiso Nyoni and to other senior officials.
The bus can carry 120 passengers at once, 20 seated and 100 standing, with two exits at the front and back. Plenty of bus hangers are installed for the standing passengers and there is ample room for the standing passengers.
Considering the same, Minister Nyoni said that the Government should increase their support for innovation as it will result in the realisation of new ideas, methods and production processes in addition to accelerating economic growth.
She mentioned that the main goal of Zimbabwe is to import fewer goods and produce more domestic goods. The government should see growth of every sector of the economy including transport, so that the ministry doesn’t need to import buses.
The Managing Director of AVM company – Jacob Zvainairo Kupa, stated that the construction of the new design will create more employment and will also carry more passengers than other buses.
He mentioned that the cost for per customer was reduced since the 120 passengers would use just one engine and drive the train.
Kupa added to his statement that in terms of production, it will take us 22 days to produce one bus and they are looking forward to producing more this year alone.
“Currently, we are waiting for the launching of the bus; then after that, production of more buses will start,” said the Managing Director.
The brain of the manufacturing and designing of the AVM prototype – Abigail Ziso, said that they looked at the number of people who would like to go home in the morning and evening. So keeping that in mind they have designed and manufactured a local bus to cater for their transport to pick up and deliver from town.
Abigail Ziso expressed that the idea that made her design this bus was to atleast have a bus that would be able to accommodate a lot of people. As in Harare, after working hours, a lot of people who wanted to go home were not accommodated by the shortage of buses.