Motorists afraid to travel on the EN1

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Motorists afraid to travel on the EN1

1:19 CAT | 25 Feb 2016

DW Moçambique

A week after the introduction of mandatory escorts on two sections of the country’s main highway, motorists and passengers are uneasy about travelling on the road.

After attacks on civilian vehicles in Sofala province by alleged Renamo gunmen, the Mozambican police re-introduced military escorts on the Maringue-Caia section. But following three attacks on military-escorted civilian convoys, people still express fear of traveling on the country’s main highway.

Two of these attacks took place on Tuesday on the Muxungué-Save and Nhamapaza-Caia sections of the road. The police indicate a tally of two people with non-serious injuries and damage to vehicles. A third attack was launched against a column traveling from Save to Muxungué on Wednesday February 24 injuring three people, including a child.

People say they are travelling with their “hearts in their hands”.

Bus passenger Agnaldo Magamba left early on Wednesday from Chimoio for Maputo and says he has to travel by road because air travel is so expensive, even though he may be risking his life doing so.

“I’m travelling with my heart in my hands. I have no choice. I’ve been on the road more than four times with this happening – I even made some trips in 2014. Air travel would be an option, but it’s so expensive,” he said.

Bus driver Alfonso Chirinza regrets the situation and says that travel is frightening. “We only do it because we can’t stop working. Our 62-seater bus left Beira with only 15 passengers on board. People aren’t traveling these days because they’re afraid.”

By contrast, motorist Saimon, just arrived in Muxungué from South Africa, said his trip went well and he didn’t realize there had been an attack on his column. “The trip went well, we kept moving and the security detail kept up a good speed,” he said.

A truck driver who preferred to remain anonymous said that even with the military convoys, there are still attacks on traffic.

“We should stop deceiving ourselves. Even with the security forces, the columns are attacked and the armoured cars travel at high speed. If the column comes apart they don’t stop. It’s better to travel without a military escort these days,” he said.

Source: DW Moçambique