Rede Viária de Moçambique (Revimo), responsible for the construction, maintenance and operation of several roads, announced today that it will resume charging tolls, which had been suspended due to protests in recent months.
The collection will be resumed “gradually” from Monday, with discounts of 60% for frequent users of light vehicles and 75% for semi-collective transport, Revimo said in a statement.
“The payment of toll fees guarantees the maintenance of the roads so that they are safe and maintained,” the statement read.
Revimo announced on January 25 that it would resume charging tolls in the country, which had been suspended due to the post-election protests.
The announcement sparked popular revolt, with cases of roadblocks and vandalization of Revimo toll booths.
On January 27, hundreds of demonstrators occupied and blocked the accesses between the toll and the Katembe bridge, with traffic to and from Maputo cut off by motorists in protest at the payment.
South Africa’s Trans African Concessions (TRAC), the concessionaire for the N4 highway, which connects Maputo to the Ressano Garcia border, also resumed charging tolls on January 23, causing popular revolt.
The resumption caused protesters to block access to the N4 to Maputo on January 29, with protests leading to the vandalization of part of TRAC’s facilities near the Maputo tolls, including the destruction of two vehicles.
Since October, Mozambique has been experiencing a climate of strong social unrest, with demonstrations and stoppages called by former presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who rejects the election results of October 9, which gave victory to Daniel Chapo.
Since October 21, the start of these protests, at least 388 people have died, including around two dozen minors, according to Plataforma Decide, a Mozambican non-governmental organization that monitors electoral processes.
The Mozambican government confirmed at least 80 deaths, as well as the destruction of 1,677 commercial establishments, 177 schools and 23 health facilities during the demonstrations.
On March 23, opposition leader Mondlane and Chapo, who had already been sworn in as president, met for the first time and pledged to stop the violence in the country.
Lusa
