Covid-19: Huge losses due to overloading ban on passenger transportation – FEMATRO

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Covid-19: Huge losses due to overloading ban on passenger transportation – FEMATRO

11:16 CAT | 27 Jul 2020

File photo: CISM - Centro de Investigação em Saúde da Manhiça

Mozambican transport carriers complained last Friday (24-07) that limitations on the number of passengers imposed under the state of emergency in relation to Covid-19 were causing them huge losses in revenue.

“The reduction [of passengers] is in the order of 35 to 40%, and the same percentage is mirrored in final revenue. There is no income,” Fematro president Castigo Nhamane told Lusa.

The state of emergency in force in the country since April 1 imposes limitations on the number of passengers to prevent the spread of Covid-19, forcing transporters to strictly respect the official carrying capacity of vans and minibuses.

“But because it is public health, we must continue to work on preventative measures so that the pandemic does not spread,” Nhamane said.

“Injustice”

On Monday of last week, transporters in Maputo suspended services in protest at the “injustice” of limiting the number of passengers in minibuses, currently to 15 passengers per trip.

“Drivers want to continue to load normally,” José Massango, president of the Union of Transporters of Maputo (Utramap), told Lusa.

The president of Matola’s municipal council met the associations and appealed for understanding.

“Let us not harm the citizen who needs transport. We are already in a difficult situation when leaving home, perhaps with no way to get back. Please think about it,” Cossa pleaded. The taxi associations later ended their strike.

Matola Municipal Council has suspended the collection of a 500 meticais (€6.00) annual fee as a way to minimise the impact of the measures on transporters.

According to data released on Sunday (26.07), Mozambique has a total of 1,669 cases of Covid-19, 11 deaths and 593 recoveries.

Source: Lusa