Minbus Drivers Reacts To The Rise Of Fuel

Mini-bus drivers in the country says it is difficult to meet the capacity in their buses because of the adjustment in fuel prices which had left them without any choice on their work but doing what is helpful to them.

The remarks were made by Hastings Tchale, a driver of Nancholi- Mannase via Limbe route in Blantyre city on Thursday morning.

“The business is not working well due to the rise in fuel prices, this is a challenge in a way that the owner of the bus needs his target by the end of the day and if we tell them that business is in bad condition the bosses says we are stealing from them”, he said

According to him, the customers are not willing to pay the new transport fee which has been set for them that is the more reason why they exceed passanger capacity.

“People are not willing to pay the new fee, what can we do?, we are all humans we help them and at the end they help us, that is why mini-bus drivers do exceed”, Tchale explained

Another mini-bus driver, Alex agreed with Tchale that as drivers they are also parents at home and have responsibilities which need to be solved with money that is the reason why sometimes they do not follow roads instructions.

Alex said: “ Just imagine boss needs his target by the end of today, Mini-bus needs fuel and at the same time my child is sick at home and my wife is waiting for me to provide medication money and food and not only that my parents at village are counting on me, what can i do?.

According to him the only way to solve the problems they have is to exceed in order to keep his job safe.

Batumeyo, mini-bus driver for Mangochi road said it is not easy for the drivers who drives long loots like him because the customers are not willing to comply with the fees so they have no chance but to exceed.

“I would have loved the government to reduce the price of the fuel from 1380 kwacha per litre to 1000 kwacha per litre at least we can carry people to capacity, we all know that things have gone high but on the issue of fuel they should have a re-think about that”, Batumeyo said

Drivers in the country wants fuel prices to reduce with 380 kwacha as the only way of not exceeding people in the mini-buses, but if the government reduces the price of fuel with the amount they want will the drivers stop exceeding?