Maputo — Three people were arrested on Tuesday in the area of Matola-Rio, in Maputo province, accused of leading a demonstration against high fares charged by some owners of the minibus taxis, known as "chapas", that provide much of Mozambique's passenger transport.

According to a report in Wednesday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias", a group of passengers barricaded the road and burned tyres to prevent the circulation of any vehicles, as a protest against the decision of the transporters to charge them 10,000 meticais (about 40 US cents) rather than the 7,500 meticais decreed by the government as the maximum fare within urban areas.

It took the intervention of the police to restore order and reopen the road to traffic. The police arrested two men and a woman, accusing them of organising the demonstration.

The government announced that the new maximum fare of 7,500 meticais, a 50 per cent increase on the old fare of 5,000 meticais, should be introduced in a all cities as from Monday.

But taxi drivers operating between Maputo and Boane, 30 kilometres west of the capital, decided that 7,500 meticais was too little, and started charging 10,000 meticais.

Before the introduction of the new fare, those operators were charging 5,000 meticais, the same as any other taxis operating in the greater Maputo area, but they have decided to charge 10,000 for those passengers travelling from Maputo to beyond Matola-Rio or vice-versa.

"We had been paying 5,000 meticais, and after the increase decreed by the government we expected to pay 7,500 meticais, but we were caught by surprise with the new fare charged by the transporters. Thus we demand justice from the government. We are not refusing to pay, but we will not accept being robbed", said Albertina Wamba, one of the demonstrators.

Leonardo Cossa, of the Federation of Road Transport Associations (FEMATRO), admitted that the transporters are misapplying the new fare. He said that some of the transporters are basing their attitude on FEMATRO's calculations of 626 meticais per passenger/kilometre, calculations not accepted by the government.

Cossa pointed out that what was decreed (and reluctantly accepted by FEMATRO) was a single flat fare, not one based on distance.

The Boane district authorities are meeting on Wednesday to sort out the situation and restore order.