Malawi to Open Road Traffic Office in Chikwawa District
The decentralization effort aims to improve access to essential road traffic services for communities across Malawi.
CHIKWAWA, Malawi-- The Malawian government plans to open a Road Traffic Directorate office in Ngabu, Chikwawa district, to provide services closer to communities in the Shire Valley region, Transport Minister Jacob Hara announced Friday, writes Cornelius Lupenga.
Hara said the new office aims to reduce the long distances people currently travel to access road traffic services in major cities like Blantyre, Lilongwe, and Mzuzu.
"Two years ago, I promised that the communities should not be traveling long distances to Blantyre, Lilongwe or Mzuzu for the services of the Road Traffic," Hara said during his visit to Ngabu.
The minister revealed that similar decentralized offices have already been opened and are operational in Karonga and Mangochi districts.
"This is likely going to reduce congestions in the three major cities of Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu," Hara added, expressing optimism that the Ngabu office will be functional by the end of this month.
However, he acknowledged that financial constraints had delayed the opening of such regional offices.
The development was welcomed by local drivers like Davie Bingala, who previously had to travel to Blantyre for services like obtaining a Certificate of Fitness.
"We used to travel to Blantyre for the Certificate of Fitness, but now it is within the Shire Valley," Bingala said, hailing the government's move.
The decentralization effort aims to improve access to essential road traffic services for communities across Malawi.