The Mozambican Federation of Road Transport Associations (FEMATRO) expressed, this Monday, August 11, its opposition to the constant stoppages in the public passenger transport sector, distancing itself from the strikes and condemning coercive actions against colleagues who choose to continue working, according to the Lusa news agency.
“We are not in favor of strikes and stoppages, although we recognize the existence of concerns. But we are against the stoppages that are taking place and we dissociate ourselves from them. Those calling these stoppages don’t even have a face,” FEMATRO president Castigo Nhamane told Lusa.
The statement came after the metropolitan area of Maputo experienced, on the morning of Monday (11), a reduced circulation of semi-collective passenger transporters, known as chapas, due to an alleged informally organized strike. Among the most common complaints from operators are police actions on the road, which include the imposition of fines and the confiscation of driver’s licenses. Another source of tension mentioned was the price of public transport, which continues to be described as incompatible with operational costs, especially in urban areas. Many transporters advocate for fare increases to compensate for the long distances traveled, arguing that the current rates do not cover expenses for fuel, maintenance, and licensing. This dissatisfaction has led to shortened routes and frequent stoppages of activities.
Castigo Nhamane stated that “FEMATRO is unaware of the origin of these stoppages, which have been occurring repeatedly since the post-election demonstrations.” The federation is concerned about the escalation of instability and is calling on national authorities to intervene to restore order on the roads. “Even today there were stoppages. What we reject is that those transporters who believe there are no conditions to work should simply stop their activities. (…) Going out on the road and forcing those who want to work to unload passengers under the threat of having their tires punctured is a stance we do not agree with,” said FEMATRO’s president.
The organization says it is in dialogue with the Government to discuss the main concerns of operators, including high operating costs. According to Castigo Nhamane, the Executive has given assurances that it will provide a response later this week.
On allegations of excessive fines, the FEMATRO leader added: “One of these days, we heard someone say that these constant stoppages are due to the frequent application of fines, but when we asked the police what these fines were, the information was that many of the drivers fined did not hold licenses compatible with the passenger transport activity. The transport activity has requirements, and they must be met, and one of them is that the driver holds a public service license.”
Source: Diário Económico
