Rede Viária de Moçambique (REVIMO), the company responsible for the construction, maintenance and operation of several national roads in the capital Maputo, failed on Monday (27) in its attempt to resume the collection of tolls, after an interruption of more than two months in the context of the post-election demonstrations in October.
According to the Mozambican Information Agency (AIM), motorists refused to pay the tolls, which led to clashes between the company and the population, who took to the streets to prevent their demands from being met.
The most critical point of the clashes was the Katembe tollbooth, one of the most contested due to the high cost of the fees, where chaos ensued in the early hours of the day, after officials had positioned themselves in the booths and closed the gates for the start of collection.
Outraged by the scene, the population immediately occupied the infrastructure, thus preventing fares from being collected. This situation led to confusion, forcing the Rapid Intervention Unit (UIR) to intervene with tear gas grenades to disperse the population, who set up barricades to prevent the circulation of vehicles on that stretch, which culminated in long queues of vehicles and the arrest of some demonstrators.
In order to overcome the impasse, the demonstrators demanded the release of the detainees, that the authorities be held responsible for a car partially damaged by tear gas fired by the police and a written declaration from REVIMO for free circulation at the tollbooth.
On the other hand, at the Matola tollbooth – concessioned by TRAC – the same scenario was visible. Since Thursday (23), the company had been trying to resume collecting fares under strong resistance from users and the communities involved, an environment that forced the concessionaire to leave some lanes open for those who refused to pay. At the Costa do Sol tollbooth, one of the busiest on Maputo’s ring road, REVIMO kept the gates open and gave road users free passage, which avoided confrontations