06 Feb 2025

 The Department of Road Transport Services(DRTS) has pleaded with public transport operators for Gaborone-Maun routes to comply with regulations enunciated in their operating permits.

This followed numerous complaints by some customers about some buses of the said route, which did not pick and drop passengers inside the villages of Xhumo, Rakops, Khumaga and Moreomaoto.

Addressing Boteti West leadership and public transport operators on Wednesday, DRTS director, Mr Bokhutlo Modukanele said the refusal to pick and drop customers in the aforementioned villages was a serious matter, and it would be closely monitored.

He said those who did not comply with the regulations, jeopardised their operating permits.

Mr Modukanele added that if found guilty, the minister responsible or the director had the powers to revoke the permit or any other pre-requisite documents.

He also warned that it was unlawful by some of the public transport operators to not accept travel warrants issued to government employees.

He cautioned operators who had turned buses into courier services that it was against the law.

Mr Modukanele said no taxi should confine itself to special trips only as it was reportedly the case in Rakops.

For his part, Kgosi Ditshego Ramakhubu of Rakops said refusal by some bus operators to pick and drop passengers inside the affected villages was a bad practice because Boteti was an area where wild animals could encroach into human settlements, hence lives were at risk.

Kgosi Seikgotheng Ntshumbiwa of Xhumo concurred, adding that the only time Gaborone-Maun buses passed through these villages was when there was a special operation by the DRTS.

Botswana Bus Operators Association representative, Mr Masunga Masunga acknowledged the behaviour by some of his operators and promised improvement. ENDS