06 Oct 2026

Sticking strictly to departure times and following approved route descriptions is not just good practice, but the law.  Responding to a questionnaire recently, Mr Andrew Paledi from the Department of Road Transport and Safety (DRTS) office in Kanye, said this therefore meant that operators had to stay glued to their approved time slots, saying ‘the number of trips is determined by the number of approved time slots allocated to the permit, that is, if a permit has two time slots, that means the operator departs from Kanye to Gaborone then back and knocks off’.  

With a 30-minute load interval for the Kanye-Gaborone route via Ranaka, such slots apply around the clock to keep things moving whether it is a quiet Tuesday or a busy holiday demand spike. 

Break the rules and one might find themselves facing a fine anywhere from P400 to P1, 000. Meanwhile, route descriptions have also sparked a bit of local drama. 

Mr Paledi noted that the Gaborone-Kanye via Ranaka permit required combis to roll right through Ranaka rather than dropping passengers off at roadside stops outside. 

In fact, the DRTS office caught just one infraction in 2026, polled and penalised in the last two weeks with a P400 fine for a driver who gave passengers the slip instead of dropping them inside the village. On the association side, things are equally lively. Southern Region Combi Association secretary, 

Mr Masilonyane Masilonyane, pointed out that the golden rule of public transport was simple, saying ‘the procedure is that public transport should transport people regardless of the number of passengers onboard at departure time’.

However, Kanye-Ranaka combi operators have been venting over ‘route poaching,’ alleging that Kanye-Gaborone operators were jumping in and swiping their clients. 

Mr Masilonyane assured everyone that the Kanye-Ranaka route would be given special attention to help drivers stay on track and respect their boundaries.

Ultimately, the policy twists hit closest to home for Ranaka residents, who had been left waiting and watching for rides.  Ms Mosetsanagape Scotch of Ranaka shared her frustration. 

“We hardly find transport especially in the evenings after working hours,” Ms Scotch said adding that it was also difficult to find transport on weekends to and from Ranaka. 

Ms Mmamane Sentoba also shared how Gaborone-Ranaka bus operators routinely passed them by, even though their licenses clearly showed their path included Kanye-Gaborone via Ranaka. ends