Maputo, 11 May (AIM) – Mozambican President Daniel Chapo on Monday handed over 190 natural gas-powered buses in order to mitigate the impact of increase in the prices of fuels and facilitate the access to public transport in the Greater Maputo Metropolitan Area.
The Metropolitan Area covers Maputo, the adjacent city of Matola and the neighbouring districts of Boane and Marracuene.
The buses are expected to directly benefit about 2.8 million people.
According to the President, the measure is aimed at reinforcing the fleet in order to prevent the duplication of fares and ease the burden on citizens.
Chapo also guaranteed that the government will subsidize student fares in order to “ensure that young people get to school at reduced costs and with greater safety.”
“The goal is to ensure that passengers know that when they board the buses, they will not have to disembark halfway to catch another vehicle, which means that suffering from double fares is over”, he said.
According to Chapo, dignified transport is crucial for economic development and social inclusion. “We want these buses to be bridges to opportunities. We want people to get ready at home, leave in perfect condition, looking good. It means that they must be transported with dignity”, he said.
These buses are handed over at a moment when the country is facing a tremendous crisis in public transport as a result of the increase in the prices of fuel. Since the announcement of new prices of fuel, drivers of minibus-taxi (colloquially known as a chapa) have been protesting, demanding an increase in the fare.
The protest has led to a boycott of the transport of people and goods, forcing passengers to travel long distances on foot.
The new prices of fuel, which took effect as of Thursday, worsened the country’s difficulties in fuel supply, with stations closed and widespread lines, as well as limits on the purchase of diesel or gasoline and a reduction in the supply of transport.
The government, through the Ministry of Transport and Logistics, announced that minibus owners in all provincial capitals will receive monthly subsidies of approximately 35,000 meticais (500 US dollars at the current exchange rate) to mitigate costs caused by rising fuel prices.
However, Castigo Nhamane, chairperson of the country’s Federation of Road Transport (FEMATRO), believes that the government’s proposal does not solve all the problems of the transporters. “It’s impossible to satisfy 100 percent the sector, but this was the solution found”, he said.
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