Bus Operators Drag GCC to Court

Transport operators have taken their fight to the Lobatse High Court, warning that planned developments at the Gaborone bus rank could paralyse their operations and threaten their livelihoods.

The operators rushed to court after learning that a developer, Silver Pack Investment, will soon commence works at the bus rank to construct a double-storey parking facility where khombies are currently parking at the bus rank, without first explaining what would happen to buses, khombies and taxis that currently load and offload there under valid, time-stamped permits.

They told the court that the bus rank is already severely congested, with buses taking up to 20 minutes just to exit through the single entrance-and-exit point. The operators fear the arrival of heavy earth-moving machinery will worsen the chaos, delay operations and force them to run outside their permitted times, an illegal situation that will not be of their making.

Adding to their frustration, the applicants said that when they raised concerns with council officials, they were told the bus rank does not belong to them and that they are operating there illegally.

Judge Jennifer Dube said the matter requires careful balancing and weighing of competing interests. She granted a rule nisi, temporarily halting the process, but warned that the order may still be discharged. Final judgment is expected in March, after the court considers all arguments presented.