Minibus Owners Association of Malawi (MOAM) says it will go ahead with its planned Monday nationwide protests against the tollgate fees implementation.
MOAM General Secretary, Coxley Kamange, has told Rainbow a while ago that it would be impossible to call off the demos now; citing time constraints
However, Information Minister Gospel Kazako has pleaded with MOAM not to proceed with the demos as government had already started addressing their grievances.
But Kamange says they need enough time to convince their members on the government’s plea.
MOAM will hold a vigil at Chingeni Toll Plaza to protest against the toll gate fees of K3, 400 per minibus which government intends to effect once the toll plaza becomes operational this Monday, November 8.
According to Roads Fund Administration, the fee for light vehicles is K1,700, pick up and minibus the fee is K3,400. For 17-31 seater passenger vehicle and those from two to five tone, the fee is K5,100.
Above five tone vehicle, the fee is K 7,000 while above 10 tone is K8,000. K20,000 will be paid for abnormal load vehicles.
Last week, Minister of Finance, Felix Mlusu, disclosed that Government will be collecting K9 billion annually from Chingeni Toll Plaza and Kalinyeke Tollgate on the M1 Road which will help in the rehabilitation of roads in the country as other countries in SADC and across the globe are doing.
Toll Stations are meant to be gradual collection of funds meant to be used for maintenance or upgrading of the existing road network. But in Malawi it is CHILETSO. Public money stolen in government offices by politicians and civil servants shouldn’t be reimbursed by an ordinary mini-bus owner trying to earn a living. In all fairness, these experimental semi-illiterates have basically failed Malawians who were lied to during their campaigns. You do not test God by forcing yourselves into things whose destiny is beyond you. Shortly, all hell will be let loose and lets see who will have the last laugh. The amount suggested by the MAOM makes sense. These vehicles will be traversing on those roads multiple times and as such you don’t expect them to pay all day long. Aganizileni a Malawi omwe anakuikani m’mipando yonona’yo.