Automotora: Passengers pay the "price of comfort" and travel like "sardines in a can"

Maputo — Paying 50 Meticais for a trip should guarantee a minimum of dignity and comfort, but for users of the Automotora train, which connects Matola Gare to Maputo, the reality is quite different. Indignant, passengers denounce the daily overcrowding on both the train and the transfer bus, turning the winding route into one where standing has become the rule rather than the exception.

The promise of a quality service, commensurate with the price paid (at least 50 Meticais per trip), has crumbled amidst the crowds. According to passenger reports to our news team, the situation has worsened in recent days. Automotora, which operates as a direct competitor to Metro Bus, seems to be being overwhelmed by its own success.

At a time when the Metro Bus company is facing a crisis of breakdowns, accumulating losses and losing customers, Automotora emerges as the only alternative for many. However, the transport company has proven powerless to meet the demand. "They can't accommodate everyone. The Metro Bus broke down, and we're the ones who end up suffering, being pushed here," lamented one user.

The situation is particularly critical on the stretch involving the Mozambique Railways (CFM). Passengers complain that, both on the train and on the bus to Xiquelene in particular, the experience is the same: discomfort, lack of seats and overcrowding.

"I travel standing on the train and end up making the same journey on the bus. We pay a price that should entitle us to respect and peace of mind, but we are treated with vulnerability. This does not justify the money we pay," complained one of the passengers interviewed by our reporter.

Faced with this chaotic situation, users are not just criticizing; they are offering solutions. Their main demand is for an increase in the number of carriages and buses to accommodate everyone in "formidable" conditions. Furthermore, they suggest that the transport company implement a system for monitoring and evaluating services.

"If there were constant monitoring and evaluation, both sides would benefit: the transport company, which would retain its customers, and we, the passengers, who would get the trip we paid for," the source concluded.

Automotora now faces the challenge of managing high demand without compromising quality, at the risk of seeing indignation turn into an exodus of customers.