Malawi: Mzuzu's New Toll Scheme Collapses Within 24 Hours Amid Chaos At Checkpoints

What the report says

Mzuzu City Council in northern Malawi has suspended its new road-user fee programme only a day after it began, following a disorderly launch that brought network problems and heavy congestion at payment checkpoints, according to Nyasa Times as carried by AllAfrica. The council had introduced the charge as a way to raise money for road repairs in the city.

Mzuzu City Mayor Chiyembekezo Moses said the pause was meant to allow officials to fix the payment network and reduce bottlenecks created by long queues of vehicles. He said the council is building an extra route to improve traffic flow and expects to address the system issues within about two weeks. The article says drivers were required to pay between K1,000 and K5,000, depending on vehicle type, at three entry points: Dunduzu, Chibwaka and Jowelo.

The rapid suspension is a setback for the council’s plan to collect at least K1 billion each quarter for road maintenance. It also appears to support earlier criticism from civil society groups, who had urged the council to prepare better traffic infrastructure and more payment equipment before rollout. The report suggests residents and motorists are now waiting to see whether the scheme can be relaunched after the technical problems are resolved.