Metrobus and CFM reach agreement

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Metrobus and CFM reach agreement

8:38 CAT | 19 Nov 2018

Photo: AIM

Metrobus, the private company which runs rail services in the greater Maputo area along lines owned by the public rail and port company, CFM, says it has reached an agreement to end a dispute with CFM, which had threatened to cancel the Metrobus services altogether.

A brief statement issued by the Metrobus managing director, Amade Camal, and published on the Metrobus Facebook page, said an agreement has been reached in principle on how much Metrobus must pay for its access to the CFM lines.

But he did not say how much Metrobus will pay. This was an issue left unresolved when the original contract between CFM and Metrobus was signed in December 2017. The fees were to have been negotiated over the ensuing 90 days. It has taken much longer than that, with a succession of proposals and counter-proposals, and earlier this month Camal said CFM had not yet replied to the latest Metrobus proposal made on 2 November.

Camal said CFM has agreed to let Metrobus trains use more of the Greater Maputo rail system capacity, particularly at peak times, which should make it possible for Metrobus to offer more services.

CFM will also allow Metrobus to erect canopies at CFM stations to protect waiting passengers from the rain. Metrobus may also build station car parks and other services, which will serve all rail users and not just the Metrobus passengers.

Metrobus has obtained authorisation from CFM to raise the maximum speed of its trains to 60 kilometres an hour. The company has accepted a demand from CFM that all its trains should be fitted with an on-board computer, as a safety measure.

Metrobus uses second hand rail cars, imported from New Zealand, to operate services from the municipalities of Matola and Boane to central Maputo rail station. From there, a fleet of buses ferries passengers to various parts of the city.

A large number of people who used to drive from Matola or Boane into central Maputo are now leaving their cars behind and taking Metrobus instead. The Metrobus trains have become crowded, and nowadays people who board at intermediate stops are lucky if they find an unoccupied seat. Hence the request to CFM to allow more Metrobus trains onto its lines.

Source: AIM