- Taxi and bus operators in Maseru have agreed to resume operations while civil society measures to resolve the near war situation are being implemented. However the situation remains tense with fewer buses ferry back people home from work.
A meeting attended by the government officials, civil society, public transport operators and consumer groups ended late today with a resolution to re-look the situation afresh, while at the same time avoiding any acts and confrontations that could lead to widespread violence.
“We want government out of business. They should take away the buses from the local routes and leave us to run the operations,” called out the Secretary General of the Maseru Regional taxi association, Bokang ‘Musa.
He however warned that if government buses are not retrieved, private operators will be left with no option but to stop services.
Three people have already been admitted to the government hospital in Maseru with gunshot wounds while scores other were treated as out-patients at different violence outbreak today where police and protesters clashed.
The government on the other hand is however cautious in meeting taxi operators demands saying law and order should be observed. A government representative at the civil society initiated meeting said all laws should be observed before taxi and buses operators can make their demands.
For instance, government still feel obligated to offer transport services, especially to the urban poor, mainly factory workers.
The government of Lesotho has recently purchased new buses and put them into servicing some local routes especially during morning and evening peak hours. The introduction of the buses has however been viewed as a political moved aimed at killed the private taxi and bus industry, which the government of Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili has accused of being aligned to the opposition enemies.
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