Crowding persists on public transport, danger persists too

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Crowding persists on public transport, danger persists too

2:39 CAT | 28 Jul 2021

Photo: O País

Public passenger transport in Maputo continues to carry more people than recommended, under the very nose of the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC).

“The Ministry of Transport and Communications must define the maximum limit of passenger vehicle capacity, in public and private transport, including rail, river and air, according to the configuration of the means,” President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi, said in his latest address to the nation.

President Nyusi in his speech also admonished the ministry in question to, in conjunction with the municipalities, guarantee disinfection at the terminals, something which is rarely seen on the ground.

Making its way to the transport terminals, ‘O Pais’ was confronted with overcrowded buses, and dense queues of passengers waiting for transport.

One of the passengers, requesting anonymity, said that he travels every day in terrible conditions, un-distanced and without disinfecting his hands. “We are in danger,” he complains, “and the situation is aggravated by the shortage of transport means.”

João Cossa, a transport provider for 15 years, says that the crowds are not deliberate. Demand is high, as is the pressure to collect revenue. “Circumstances at work are very difficult, due both to the cost of fuel and the low ticket prices in force,” he explained.

While operators offer justifications and the ministry in question fails to put things into order, the situation continues unchanged, with buses a source of Covid-19 contagion.

Despite the efforts of the health authorities, the number of new coronavirus infections continues to rise.

The Ministry of Health warns that, “if the growing trend in the number of cases and hospitalizations persists, the situation could worsen even more, undermining all efforts against the disease”.

By Isaura Manjate

Source: O País