People from Lake Malawi islands of Chizumulu and Likoma will have to dig deeper into their pockets to travel to the mainland in Nkhata Bay following a 50 percent fare increase for MV Ilala.
Malawi Shipping Company confirmed a 50 percent increase in passenger fares for MV Ilala in an interview on Sunday, citing rising fuel prices and the cost of other operational materials.
before departure to Likoma. I Ireen Mseteka
The new economy class fares are now K9 000 from K3 500 on one trip from Chizumulu to Nkhata Bay and K10 000 from K6 500 from Likoma to Nkhata Bay on one-way.
Likoma-based businessperson Damalesi Nyirenda, who sells onions at Jalo Market in the island district, expressed concern over the fare hike and asked the company to reconsider the increase.
“I sell onions which I buy from the mainland. Each bag
costs K20 000 on the ship and for me to bring it here I spend about K50 000 per bag. Business is not doing well at the moment, so increasing the fares by 50 percent is a big blow to us,” he said.
Electricity Generation Company employee Atrick Munthali said the rise will affect many workers on the two islands.
“Many people travel to the mainland such as Nkhata Bay or Monkey Bay for work or meetings. When fares increase, workers must spend more money on transport, which means a larger portion of their salaries will go toward travel expenses,” he said.
But Malawi Shipping Company chief executive officer Joseph Banda justified the hike, saying things are expensive.
“The last time we increased fares was in 2014. Recently, the cost of doing business has gone up, including the price of fuel and we have been struggling to operate under the current costs,” he said.
Banda said customers expect better services from the company to enable them to reach their destinations safely; hence the need for the increase to sustain operations.
