Beira: Commuters face long walks as minibuses strike without prior notice

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Beira: Commuters face long walks as minibuses strike without prior notice

2:14 CAT | 28 Mar 2017

Diário de Moçambique

Hundreds of commuters on the Baixa-Munhava and Inhamízua-Passagem de Nível via Rua 33 routes in Beira were caught unawares yesterday morning by an unannounced stoppage of “chapas” transport providers.

The strikers’ aim it to pressure the authorities to increase tariffs from 7 to 10 meticals and from 9 to 15 meticais, but the stoppage forced commuters to walk several kilometers from their homes to workplaces and other points in central Beira, the capital of Sofala.

Beira was not the only place in the province affected as yesterday, passengers travelling on the Beira-Nhamatanda, Búzi and Gorongosa routes, via Inchope, were stranded at terminals for the same reasons. The demand there is a tariff rise from 90 to 150 meticais, 150 to 180 meticais and 250 to 280 meticais.

However, the operators of the Baixa-Macúti route via Matacuane and Ponta-Gêa, Estoril via Chipangara, Passagem de Nivel via Mutarara, and Beira-Dondo continued to work normally.

The strike was unofficial and users caught by surprise, including students, civil servants, workers in various companies and institutions and patients with hospital consultations were forced to walk many kilometers.

Those with no alternatives as in the case of the Beira-Nhamatanda, Búzi and Gorongosa via Inchope routes, did not travel during the day at all.

In the afternoon, some “chapas” did travel the Baixa-Inhamízua and Passagem-de-Nível via rua 33 Munhava section, but the stops had long queues of passengers, most of whom were unsuccessful in boarding the minibuses for their journey home.

Source: Diário de Moçambique