New buses “disappear” from the roads while passengers face chaos in Greater Maputo

A week after the President of the Republic delivered 190 new buses, the public transport crisis continues to affect thousands of passengers in the Maputo Metropolitan Area. Despite promises of improved mobility, citizens report long waiting times at bus stops, overcrowding, and the need to make multiple connections to reach their destinations.

Although the buses have been distributed to municipalities such as Maputo, Matola, Marracuene, Boane and Matola-Rio, many passengers claim that the new vehicles remain "invisible" on the main routes.

In the Nkobe neighborhood of Matola, Cármen Laurinda Cossa says that residents continue to depend on old and dilapidated buses. Meanwhile, Aly Nlhavaguane, a resident of the Patrice Lumumba neighborhood, describes daily difficulties getting to work, denouncing repeated fare increases and a lack of information about the schedules of the new fleet.

Complaints are also flooding social media and bus stops. Egídio Langa, another passenger interviewed for this report, says he traveled several busy routes without encountering any of the new buses announced by the Government.