Namibia's exports to Mozambique worth N$4.1 billion - report
DW (File photo)
The authorities in the central Mozambican province of Manica have yielded to pressure from transport operators and have agreed to an increase in fares that minibus owners can charge for journeys between districts.
According to a report in Tuesday’s issue of the independent daily ‘O Pais’, the Manica Provincial Association of Transporters (ATPM) in August announced a 25 per cent fare rise – but had to withdraw this when the provincial government objected.
At the time the ATPM justified the proposed fare rise by citing the depreciation of the metical against the US dollar. Since all the minibuses and their spare parts are imported, the depreciation significant increases the costs for the operators.
The Manica Provincial Directorate of Transport and Communications dropped its opposition to the fare rise last week, clearly because of the recent increase in fuel prices. In October the price of petrol rose by 5.3 per cent, and the price of diesel (the fuel used by most minibuses) rose by 24.5 per cent.
The fuel subsidy offered to transporters only covers urban passenger transport. There is no subsidy for inter-district transport, and so the fuel price rises was a blow to the minibus owners.
A 25 per cent rise means that the price of a return trip from the provincial capital, Chimoio, to the adjacent district of Gondola goes up from 40 to 50 meticais (from 53 to 66 US cents).
Elisa Simiate, who frequently travels from Chimoio to Machipanda, on the border with Zimbabwe, protested that the fare had risen from 80 to 100 meticais, and described the rise as “exaggerated”.
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