Lilongwe to have first ever intercity buses
InterCity Express is geared to launch first ever Inter City Bus Services in the capital city Lilongwe with full hope that the service will bring about sanity, decorum, security, affordability and order in city commuter service.
For the first time in the history of commuter services in the country, to board the buses, passengers will be required pay “daily, weekly or monthly” subscriptions using mobile money platforms namely Mpamba and Airtel Money.
InterCity Express General Manager, Louis Chipofya said the much awaited launch which will be characterized by city incursions and music performance by veteran musician Skeffa Chimoto will take place in December 20, 2023.
“We will take some of our buses and drive around the cities to sensitize targeted passengers with accurate information about the operation, service charges, how to make payments, etc for InterCity Express.
“These city incursions shall be spiced with music by one Malawi’s legends Skeffa Chimoto,” Chipofya said in an excusive interview with the publication.
According to Chipofya, ever since Stagecoach Bus Services closed shop, there has not been a similar service that offers a city-wide bus service; and that gap has always been felt, hence the introduction of intercity bus services.
Chipofya sounded hopeful that the yet to be launched Inter City Bus Services will help to bring about sanity and security in the city.
“It is about time Malawi joined the rest of its peer African countries in bringing sanity, security, decorum, affordability, and order in its city commuter service. Rwanda has the Golden Dragon buses just like South Africa and Botswana have CNG City buses,”
“The buses shall ply the cities by following pre-defined routes largely from the neighbourhood that have huge demand for transport from their homes to their places of work, trade or family and friends’ visits,” he said
Chipofya further said the in its short term plans, InterCity Express eyes double decker buses and Lilongwe Airport shuttles.
“In the short term, plans are to introduce double decker buses in order to expand our capacity and reach out to more passengers.
Again, we would like to introduce Lilongwe Airport shuttles to offer decent transport services for in-bound travellers,” said Chipofya
For the long term plan, Chipofya says: “Firstly, we plan to take the school-runs burden off fellow parents by introducing bus services to most of the city schools on a subscription basis.
“Secondly, we plan to introduce sector specific buses to cover, for example, hospital staff like nurses and doctors; security personnel like Police, and Immigration officer going to specific work places; lecturers and academic and support staff for places like Bunda, and also factory workers to places like Kanengo.”
The current metro area population of Lilongwe is 1,276,000 – a 4.2% increase from 2022.
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There used to be intercity buses before, during president H Kamuzu Banda.
This is something good and I had a wish if such commuter service can be reintroduced. I second the launch and pray it spreads to other cities in Malawi.
It looks like this will be intracity (within) not intercity (city to city)
Sounds good but what will be new?
Will it be timely osati zodikira idzadze ngati minibus. Because ngati ndi zodikira idzadze sindikuonapo kusiyana. Otherwise it’s a good development.
Beautiful,sanity will now come to Lilongwe !!
This is great and good development, welcome
Introduce also Hop on Hop off buses around Lilongwe city for tourists.
Bravo! 👍🏽
That’s good development for our country to have the Intercity bus oparetion but we should also have standard but terminal not the one that we have in Lilongwe it’s very old and not in good shape
This a welcome development. It is really high time we needed this as Malawians to ease our city transportation.
Won’t do any good than grounding of the buses sooner than expected because Malawians have learnt to rely on small buses and taxis the hard way.
Welcome to Malawi the warm heart of Africa with the Brilliant idea
It’s a good development but you should expect tough competition with mini buses because the targeted customers are the same.
Are sure about your headline
The first ever inter city buses in Lilongwe?
We had intercity buses during our times in 80z up to to early 90z democracy killed everything good ….
This is bound to succed considering the raod expansion that is currently going on. It is a very welcome and timely development.
Provided it would be able to make prices affordable unlike minibuses which are charging at exorbitant bus fares
But nice that you have brought up the story. Good one.
Did you do your research. This is not the first ever!!! My God journalism in Malawi!!!!!
Mwayitha. Wokhala kwa Kauma aganizireni mwansanga. Amavutika ndimbava zili ntownmu
Awesome initiative 👌🏾
I remember the blue intercity buses in the 80s and early 90s. This is not a lilongwe first
Thanks very much for introducing buses that will be going around the town.This means that Malawi is now becoming a developed country same like in RSA they have what they call Reavia buses.