The government will no longer pay fuel subsidies to public passenger transport operators serving the Maputo Metropolitan Region, namely the municipalities of Maputo, Matola, Boane, Marracuene, Matola-Rio, Manhiça and Namaacha.
National Director of Transport and Safety Alberto Matusse explained that the fuel price compensation scheme for urban public transport was an extraordinary government measure intended to cushion the impact of rising fuel prices. It had previously been announced as a temporary measure lasting three months.
“After the three months had elapsed, the government studied the situation and concluded that there are more sustainable mechanisms for managing public passenger transport, particularly in urban areas,” he said.
The payment of compensation to public passenger transport operators was announced in May. The government paid 35,000 meticais per month to 15-seat minibuses, 141,000 meticais to buses and 60,000 meticais to 35-seat vehicles.
Over the three months, the government spent 307,004,619 meticais on compensation. In the first month, 2,476 vehicles received subsidies totalling an estimated 126,715,288.25 meticais; in the second month, 2,565 vehicles received compensation amounting to 122,169,275.50 meticais; and in the final month, 847 vehicles received a total of 58,120,155.25 meticais.
However, the government’s decision to stop paying fuel subsidies was not well received by public passenger transport operators, who immediately announced that fares in the Maputo Metropolitan Region would increase, supposedly from 1 November this year.
In response, transport operators argue that higher fares are the only viable alternative for covering high operating, maintenance and fuel costs. As of last Friday, there was no agreement on when the new fares would take effect or how much they would increase. While some operators accept an increase of 5 meticais, others are demanding a much steeper rise of up to 20 meticais, arguing that current fares are too low and do not cover accumulated losses.
This position is supported by the Mozambican Federation of Road Transport Associations (FEMATRO). In an interview with domingo, Maputo Metropolitan Agency administrator Afonso Jamisse confirmed that he had received delegations from the association, which presented the proposal, arguing that it was intended to offset the end of the compensation scheme.
“We listened, but did not accept the proposal. The Metropolitan Agency is responsible for approving and announcing fares, with the opinion of the Maputo Metropolitan Council. We are currently consulting the municipalities of Greater Maputo on the proposals, taking into account the different routes and the fact that these municipalities licensed the vehicles operating in this sector,” Jamisse said.
He clarified that no municipality had yet submitted a final proposal for the new fares and that he therefore could not confirm whether the new fare schedule would take effect next month, as transport operators wanted.
“We have not committed ourselves to announcing that the new fares will take effect in November. We are still working and meeting with different stakeholders. There will be a period when it is announced that the new fare will take effect from day X, and that announcement must be made 10 or 15 days in advance.”
The Maputo Metropolitan Agency authorities suggest that, if fares are increased, the rise should be limited to 3 or 5 meticais at most, in order to minimise the burden on passengers.
FEMATRO spokesperson Jorge Manhiça told domingo on Friday that the federation’s leadership had met with the Maputo Metropolitan Council, where it submitted a proposal for an increase of 12 meticais on routes where the fare is currently 18 meticais, bringing it to 30 meticais, and a further 10 meticais on routes where the ‘chapa’ fare is 15 meticais, bringing it to 25 meticais.
Jorge Manhiça said the new fares would take effect on 1 November, but warned that if the proposal was not accepted, passenger transport services in Greater Maputo could be disrupted on 2 November, allegedly because ‘chapa’ operators no longer had the financial means to cover their expenses.
“Our initial proposal was an increase of 20 meticais. The Metropolitan Council did not accept it, so we reduced it to the current proposals of 12 and 10 meticais, respectively. The Maputo Metropolitan Council is proposing 5 meticais. We disagree, because with that fare we will continue to accumulate losses.”
Source: Domingo