Commuter omnibus and bus operators on Thursday boycotted their ranking spaces, protesting sudden threefold rank fee hikes by the Harare City Council.

Many buses and commuter omnibus' operators were left without any choice but to load their vehicles outside the ranks as they had budgeted $25 and $15 terminus entrance fees they used to pay.

According to some bus operators interviewed by NewZimbabwe.com, authorities Thursday increased the city's bus and commuter omnibus fees, from $25 and $15 to $100 and $50, respectively.

Operators said some of their colleagues failed to rank their vehicles inside the bus terminus because fee increments were announced early in the morning without their knowledge.

"We were not given any notice by City Council that they are going to increase entrance fees for buses and commuter omnibus.

"We were surprised because we saw the notice pasted at the bus terminus offices this (Thursday) morning.

"Many buses are loading outside the bus terminus because they had $25 bond, the fee they used to pay before this sudden change," said the operator, adding, "The way they increased their fees is not proper looking at the percentage. It is very huge; they should have at least increased the fees to $40 or $50 bond, maybe it could be reasonable.

The sudden change made lives difficult for passengers because they had to struggle in accessing the buses carrying their luggage since they were not at their usual terminuses.

Few buses managed to load inside the terminus after their owners sent the balances via their crews' mobile phones.

One bus conductor who identified himself as Marko said the fee increment must not be determined by the bus fares.

"We buy fuel at the end of the day but the city council has nothing to lose. So I don't think the increment if fair.

"There is no point in hiking terminus fees because there are no toilets or any shades in most of their ranks to take shelter.

"It is just an open space. Council is only concerned about hiking fees without maintaining the terminus but they are just increasing the fees because the land belongs to them yet not maintaining the terminus." said Marko.

They said that the bus fare is likely to increase, as a result of the terminus fee increment.