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 ssaid 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 exlusive 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 neighbourhoods 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.
