New buses for Maputo

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New buses for Maputo

10:07 CAT | 02 Feb 2016

In file Club of Mozambique.

The Mozambican government has made a further 50 buses available to strengthen public transport in Maputo.

These 50 vehicles, valued at eight million US dollars, are part of a total order of 213 buses to be distributed throughout the country, under a commitment made in the government’s Economic and Social Plan for 2016.

The buses, delivered last Friday, each have 50 seats, and will begin to operate on Tuesday on two routes from the outer Maputo suburb of Zimpeto. One route ends near the port, and the other at the terminal by the Natural History Museum. The buses will be operated by the N1 Corridor Transport Cooperative (COOTRAC N1), a private operator founded in 2013.

At the ceremony where the buses were handed over, the Deputy Transport Minister, Manuela Rebelo, recognized that the vehicles are not sufficient to solve the chronic crisis in Maputo passenger transport.

She said that part of the deal with the supplier is that technical assistance, repairs and insurance against all risks is included for the first 150,000 kilometres. “We have imposed these guarantees to ensure that the state will not have to go on investing resources in acquiring buses that operate for a much shorter period than their useful life”.

The acquisition of the new buses coincides with the introduction of bus lanes by Maputo Municipal Council. Initially the dedicated bus lanes will only be on the two routes from Zimpeto. Other vehicles will be barred from using these lanes during rush hour (05.30 to 08.30 and 15.30 to 19.00).

“We are convinced that, if everybody collaborates, we shall see a significant improvement in the flow of traffic in this corridor”, said Rebelo.

The Mayor of Maputo, David Simango, admitted that motorists might take some time to become accustomed to the bus lanes. “We will have conflicts, and we are aware of these conflicts”, he said. “As we implement the scheme, so we shall make correction. We have said that that those means of transport that carry more passengers will take priority over those which only carry one or two people”.

Source: AIM