Bridge benefits

queuing up to use the ferry – the only way to cross Maputo Bay before the bridge was built. However, although some controversy has surrounded the application of toll fees that will be charged for bridge usage, assurances have been given that the toll will be lower than the rate currently being paid for the ferry crossing.

“These tariffs will not be painful for the users of the bridge compared to the sea crossing,” said Magaia, adding that the government is carrying out studies so that the tariffs “are socially sustainable” and the tariffs for crossing will not be higher than the current costs.

At present, motorists crossing, either to Maputo City or to the Municipal District of Katembe, are forced to endure queues of cars and hour-long delays waiting for the solitary ferryboat, before then taking an hour to cross in a round trip. Currently the ferry can only carry about 15 vehicles at a time at an average cost of $4.5 for each vehicle.

For passengers, in addition to the ferryboat, which not only takes cars but also people, there are small boats specializing in passenger-only trips charging around $0.1 per person per trip.

Residents on both sides of Maputo City and Katembe are excited about having a new facility to improve their lives. Many of them believe that the bridge will relieve much of the stress, frustration and safety issues they feel every day when they cross the bay as the boats are in poor condition.

For those living on the Katembe side and studying or working in the capital, the “magnificent bridge” will reduce the “travel time and fear that I feel every day when I enter one of these boats,” said student Ângela Mahumane.

“The bridge will bring more security to all of us who cross these waters every day, especially the students. I also believe that with the bridge, we will [open up] more investments in Katembe. We lack schools, hospitals, shops and many things that we only have here in Maputo. The bridge will raise the government’s attention to the need for these services [in Katembe],” Mahumane added.

Esmeraldo Massango is a driver and owner of a cargo vehicle with a capacity to carry 3 tons. Living in Katembe, his daily routine is to transport various types of goods from Maputo to the grocery stores and other businesses in Katembe.

Currently his only means of crossing is the ferryboat, and he says he spends more than “two hours in the long rows of cars to make the crossing to the city and more time in the afternoon on the return trip.” For him, the bridge will increase daily productivity and reduce waiting time. For a businessperson, time is money after all.

Katembe is known for attracting many domestic and international tourists who go to appreciate the crystal clear waters of its beaches, and the magnificent mangroves. Formerly, it was an area not much explored. But, with the construction of the bridge, residents have noted the increase in housing and construction as people look to relocate.

Carla Malumbe is a resident of Maputo with family in Katembe. She often crosses Maputo Bay in summer to visit Katembe’s beaches, which she says are more beautiful and cleaner than those in the city.

Malumbe has two daughters, and she thinks it’s dangerous for them to travel on the small passenger boats. She says she prefers the ferryboat, and is always conscious of the danger of these old and poorly maintained boats. She is happy with the bridge because “it will make the crossing safer and I intend to go even more frequently to the beach.”

The bridge is also expected to cut the driving time from the neighboring border with Kwazulu-natal Province in South Africa to Maputo by about four hours.

With large numbers of people traveling between the two countries via the border gates at Kwazulu-natal every month, the bridge and linking roads are expected to give tourism a boost.

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* Reporting from Mozambique * Comments to niyanshuo@chinafrica.cn