Running battles between the police and minibus operators continued today in Blantyre as government has issued a defiant statement which says the sitting capacity in public vehicles remains at 60 per cent. This means minibuses can only carry two passengers per seat, a policy which the minibus operators are protesting against. The situation was volatile […]
Minibus operators paralysed public transport system in Lilongwe, forcing most commuters to walk to their respective work and business places. Drivers of minibuses and taxis were demonstrating calling on government to reduce fuel prices and rescind the order to reduce seating capacity. People using Area 23 heading to town via City Centre were left stranded […]
A six-year-old asthmatic girl has been rushed to hospital after she fainted following teargas she inhaled at Chinamwali township in Zomba as police battled with minibus operators. The angry minibus operators want the government either to reduce fuel pump prices or increase minibus sitting capacity. Mother of the child, Chimwemwe Gladys Banda said teargas canisters […]
Malawi Police are battling minibus operators and touts in Blantyre and Zomba who are staging violent protests as they have resolved to maintain the current capacity of passengers until government reduces fuel prices for them to remain in business. In Chirimba, Blantyre and Chinamwali in Zomba, police are using teargas to disperse the angry minibus […]
Insurance premiums for minibuses has gone down to 60 per cent due to the change of the laws because of the covid-19 strict preventive measures. This means that in times of an accident, insurance companies can only pay up to 60 per cent of the premiums. This comes at a time when minibus operators in […]
Business came to a standstill at Lilongwe’s Old Town as people protested against the police heavy handedness in enforcing the Covid-19 strict preventive measures. The police were seen whipping people who were not putting on face masks instead of arresting them. This led to chaos, forcing minibus operators to withdraw their services. Later, calm returned […]
Minibus operators have said they are raising passenger fares following Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera)’s dramatic adjustment of fuel prices by an average of 28 percent. Mera announced the increase of fuel prices on Wednesday evening. Minibus Owners Association of Malawi (Moam) acting national chairperson Felix Mbonekera Msiska said following the fuel price hike, the association […]
Despite government through the energy regulator, Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) reducing fuel prices for two consecutive times, it has been observed that minibus operators have not reduced bus fares, a development which has worried most commuters. During a snap survey Nyasa Times conducted in the streets of Blantyre, it has been revealed that minibus […]
Minibus fares and bus fares have gone up in some routes after government has started enforcing the 60 per cent capacity for public transport. The government is enforcing the 60 per cent capacity in view of the coronavirus threat. In Lilongwe, most routes now range from K600 to K700 from K400 to K500. Minibus Owners […]
Police in Ntcheu district have impounded 24 minibuses for wrong parking offences. The move is expected to help reduce road accidents in the district caused by reckless driving and wrong parking. Desipite the district having a modern bus deport, minibus operators like to pick and drop passengers from unauthorised and dangerous places such as filling […]
The Blantyre Chief Resident Magistrate Court has convicted and fined a minibus driver K500,000 or serve two years imprisonment with hard labour for causing death by reckless driving. The driver, Osman Bamusi aged 34, committed the offence on January 19th, 2018 along Masauko-Chipembere Highway in Blantyre. Interestingly, this is not first he is involved in fatal […]
Despite government’s efforts to remove minibus and bus touts, locally known as ‘call boys’, from the country’s streets, the menaces to society continue to operate at bus stops across the country in large numbers. A few years ago, Government banned bus touts from plying their trade on the country’s streets since they were observed to […]
Government has said it will impose a curfew on all buses and trucks travelling at night, saying all passenger and goods vehicles should stop when time strikes 10pm. Minister of Transport and Public Works Jappie Mhango said this in parliament on Tuesday when he answered a question from Kasungu south east MP Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda […]
Member of parliament for Kasungu south east Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda on Tuesday took the government to task to explain what it is doing to end the strike by minibus drivers and conductors which virtually crippled the transport system in the capital, Lilongwe on Tuesday. This follows the government decision to impose stiffer penalties on road traffic offences. “What […]
Malawi Police have vowed never to give in to minibus drivers and conductors to ease road traffic offence punishments, saying the law enforcers have a mission to eradicate the increasing accidents on the roads. The police comments on the issue come as minibus drivers and conductors intend to stage protests in the Capital City, Lilongwe […]
Many Malawians debated at length following the ugly protests by minibus drivers and conductors in defiance to new regulations and their stiff fines if not followed. Commenting on Facebook, Mankhokwe Namusanya said the extreme punitive measures cannot protect people from accidents and the harsh fines and sentences are not deterrent factors to minibus drivers and […]
Pandemonium ensued at Zomba main bus terminal on Friday morning as irate minibus drivers and conductors were seizing their counterpart’s minibuses that were carrying passengers in protest of the alleged new Road Traffic Regulations prohibiting minibuses to carry heavy load and passengers in excess of the stipulated standards. There were ugly scenes, where innocent passengers […]
Malawi Police in Mzuzu are keeping in custody a 29-year-old Ken Nkhoma for allegedly causing death by reckless driving. According to Mzuzu Police Deputy Public Relations Officer, Cecillia Mfune, the suspect (Nkhoma) on Sunday, was driving a Toyota Hiace mini bus registration number MZ 3393 heading towards Luwinga from the city along MI Road. The […]