New minibus sitting arrangement flops
The three-passengers-per-seat minibus sitting arrangement, which government introduced some years ago, is gradually disappearing as most minibuses carry four passengers per seat.
Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama), Road traffic directorate and Minibus Owners Association of Malawi (Moam) have pushed the blame on passengers, saying they deliberately allow sitting in rows of four instead of three.
But minibus passengers interviewed randomly in Lilongwe said they are forced to comply with the old sitting arrangement to catch up on time.
Cama executive director John Kapito said there is need for civic education among passengers.
“Consumers, who are passengers in this case, should demand their right to the recommended seating capacity. However, passengers are passive in Malawi as they allow conductors to squeeze them to maximise profits.”
Malawi police traffic in-charge, Mavuto Mbobo, and director of road traffic directorate, James Chirwa, said it is wrong to carry passengers beyond the recommended seating capacity as the law is still in operation.
“We blame passengers because strangely, they oblige to the wrong seat capacity,” said Chirwa.
Asked why minibus owners allow minibuses to break the law, Moam national secretary, Coaxley Kamange, said minibuses conductors do not force passengers to board a minibus which is already full.
“Passengers are the ones who should check the seat capacity before they board a minibus,” he said.
Kapito backed road traffic police, saying they cannot be on the road all the time; hence, passengers should take responsibility to demand the right practice.
But Kamange has a warning for passengers: “When a 16 seater minibus is involved in an accident, the insurance company compensates only the first the 16 passengers [the others are not compensated].”
traffic officers are corrupt they allow minibus excceed their capacity nde ife anthu ndindani especially buses zopita kunkhoma
According 2 dis last days people we re above the law… So minibus association and load traffic can’t do nothing… Leave us it iz….kikkkkkkkkk
Let’s try five passangers per seat
Can I take this opportunity to get assisted pa warning ya a Kamange. I got involved in a minbus accident in March, 2013 and ndinathyoka dzanja i was approached by an employee of a certain law firm on the day of the accident at the hospital and he lured me to submit my medical and police report of which i did. Up to now my file is still in their intray akuti sinagwiridwebe mpaka pano pamene mbuyomu i was told there is progress at one point i was told andiitana kuti akandione mmene ndinavulalira. Kwa amene mumazitsata what can i do coz i feel somehow justice is being twisted here. sorry for using the wrong forum but we do turn to you the media people wen we the voiceless hav nowhere to run to
Chester Gumbo, go and complaint to Malawi Law Society or Malawi Human Rights Commission.
The road traffic police is really too corrupt. Board any minibus to anywhere in Malawi and see what the driver and conductors do more specially on road blocks. ‘Tatipatsani K200 timupatse watchmaniyu’, the minibus driver asking the conductor. ‘ Mani, ya ma units tu’. The police man going behind the minibus a very happy man.
Everybody knows this even Bopham of the cash gate investigation failure knows this is what is happening. Now you expect anyone to enforce any law in Malawi. If only the road traffic police or the road block police had supervisors or monitors. These people go on the road when they want money for their families and I dont know how much money goes to the police men instead of government coffers. They can arrest/impound 20 vehicles but at the end of the day all vehicles will be gone. Not a single fine has gone to the Government purse.
A mini bus has s certified seating capacity. This is registered on the disc and and enforced that a note be exposed inside the mini bus emphasizing the same. The traffic cops have the duty to enforce traffic laws no negotiations
Nseu wa Nsanje to Blandtyre zoonjeza tikadandaula timasisidwa pomwepo osakubwezelanso ndalama.Boma lichitepo kanthu.