Mozambique: Minibus Owners Threaten Strike

30 June 2011

Maputo — Owners of the private minibuses (known as “chapas”) that provide much of the passenger transport in Maputo have threatened to go on strike against the compulsory inspection of their vehicles.

All vehicles that are over five years old must undergo inspection for mechanical defects. The inspections began on 1 February 2010, and vehicle owners had six months to take their cars, trucks, buses or motorbikes to the inspection centres where the brakes, steering, tyres, lights, engine fumes and other safety aspects are checked.

The government scheme ran into a boycott by motorists – particularly by the owners of the notoriously unsafe chapas. It was said that Mozambique did not enjoy the appropriate conditions to introduce such a scheme, or that the real problem was potholes in the roads, not mechanical defects of the vehicles.

The government succumbed to this pressure and at the last moment abandoned the deadline of 31 July 2010 for all vehicles to be inspected, using as its excuse the fact that not all the provincial inspection centres were operational by that date.

Now the deadline is back on – and the police are empowered to seize any vehicle not inspected by 30 June. As a result long queues have built up at the inspection centres in Maputo and the neighbouring city of Matola.

According to a report in Thursday’s issue of the Maputo daily “Noticias”, some of the drivers had requested the day off work in order to queue up for the inspection. The scenes were chaotic as motorists tried to jump the queue. Some even offered bribes to the inspectors – which were rejected.

But many of the chapa owners have continued their boycott, since they know full well that their dangerous vehicles are unlikely to pass the inspection. They have made threats that they will pull their vehicles off the roads as from Friday, in protest at the start of police checks to see whether vehicles have been inspected.

This is a bluff that could be called – for if the chapas are off the roads, their owners cannot make any money.

But instead of ignoring the threat, the government’s National Traffic Institute (INAV) is involved in negotiations with the Federation of Road Transport Associations (FEMATRO) to avoid a chapa strike.

The FEMATRO leadership told reporters that attempts were being made to ensure “gradualism” in police checks.

“We know that the inspections are important so that the owners of the vehicles can know what defects they have, but we think that everything should obey some gradualism in implementation”, said FEMATRO Deputy President Luis Munguambe.

He urged INAV to undertake awareness campaigns so that they take their vehicles to the inspection centres, rather than advancing immediately with sanctions against owners of uninspected vehicles.

In other words, Munguambe was effectively calling for an extension of the deadline, something which INAV has already ruled out.

AllAfrica – All the Time