Malawi govt lacks vision in transport sector

It was reported in one of the dailies that government has been taken by surprise by a proposal from the Chinese railway company, Number 2 Engineering Group Limited to construct a railway line from Chitipa to Nsanje. The fact that government has expressed surprise at the proposed project speaks volume about government’s lack of knowledge of the importance of the railway transport system.

Rail transport is by far the cheapest compared to air, road and water. Rail transport can haul thousands tonnes of cargo and also transport many people from one point to another at one go.

For example, the Mozambican government is building the new railway line from Moatize to Nacala through Malawi to connect in Liwonde to haul coal to the other side of Mozambique. The South African government built the subway and has ordered more locomotives to improve rail transport and serve commuters better.

Rail transport has retrogressed in Malawi. Passenger service only resumed two years ago because of people’s demand and complaints. Government had nothing to do with it. Even rail transport covers only a few areas. Yet the railway line runs from Nsanje to Mchinji.

The proposal from the Chinese railway company should be embraced without any reservation. The project will spur economic development in the three regions. It will provide easy access to the markets and encourage farmers to boost agriculture production.

It will also encourage exports from the North as it is close to the northern corridor. Coffee and other agricultural products will be easily exported through the port of Dar es Salaam. The railway line should connect with the Tazara railway line built by the visionary former presidents Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia and the late Julius Mwalimu Nyerere of Tanzania.

The railway line project will go a long way in alleviating problems experienced in public transport, which is in a crisis. Government officials have ignored public transport because they use government vehicles that are fuelled by taxes. They do not feel the pinch. If they were concerned about the problems, they would have done something about them.

When they see buses shuttle between Blantyre and Lilongwe or between Lilongwe and Mzuzu they think public transport is in order. But the public transport system is far from being efficient. Passengers endure a lot of suffering. Many of these buses have no precise departure times.

They depart when the bus is full. Travellers are made to wait for long hours before the bus starts off. Secondly, they overload passengers for more profits. How does one stand in the bus all the way from Lilongwe to Mzimba or Lilongwe to Zomba or Blantyre?

There is no comfort or safety public transport.  Minibuses do not even offer any respite. They still overload and get away with their unbecoming behaviour because of inept and corrupt traffic cops. Can Minister of Transport Francis Kasaila take a bus Lilongwe to Blantyre to appreciate what it feels like to use public transport?

During the campaign period President Peter Mutharika took a minibus from Lilongwe town to Chigwirizano in Likuni, Lilongwe. It appears he did not learn anything from the ride. Government should hasten to engage the Chinese company for the proposed railway line project. We cannot wait to see it operational.