It’s a job! The pump price may be unchanged, but the fuel crisis is making minibus fares run wild, that even a short minibus ride now feels like a financial transaction with interest.
In Blantyre, passengers are watching their transport money disappear at every stage, as minibus fares shoot up, leaving commuters wondering whether they are travelling across town or paying for the whole minibus.
Kabaza? Better check your pocket twice. Nanga angalime?
At the minibus rank, the fuel shortage has a price, as passengers pay more to get to work, school and market while operators struggle to find fuel.
Malawi24 has established that passengers in Blantyre are no longer paying what they paid before the shortage.
Minibus operators and other transporters are raising fares as they struggle to find fuel, leaving workers, students and traders paying more to get where they need to go.
Commuters in Machinjiri told this publication that a trip that used to cost K2,500 has now doubled, because every stage carries its own fare.
On the Limbe to Machinjiri route, passengers said they are now asked to pay K3000 from Limbe to Khama, a fee used to cover the whole trip to Machinjiri Area 5.
For someone living in Machinjiri Area 5, the total has doubled, because from Khama they must board another minibus and pay another fare.
Our journalist spoke to Shelala Kaonga, a student at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) who commutes daily from Machinjiri.
He said the fuel shortage has hit him hard, as he now spends close to K15,000 a day on transport alone.
For commuters, the fuel crisis is no longer just about finding a minibus. It is about finding the money to board one.
A trip from Chirimba to Limbe, which used to cost K3,000, has now doubled to not less than K6,000, turning an ordinary trip into a serious hit on the pocket.
The Blantyre to Chilomoni route has also joined the fare madness. Passengers are now paying K3,000, up from the previous K1,500.
And if you thought the usual kabaza fares were already expensive, the fuel crisis has apparently decided to test the strength of commuters’ pockets even further.
Those opting for motorcycles are now paying more for the speed and convenience. A trip from Mbayani to Blantyre town, which was already costing around K3,500, now goes for not less than K5,000.
