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Road Users in Liwonde Worry with Congestion

Some of the trucks carrying fertilizers and other materials parked along Bakili Muluzi highway Some of the trucks carrying fertilizers and other materials parked along Bakili Muluzi highway - pic by Eamon Piringu

Road users around Liwonde Township in Machinga on Monday asked the district’s council to identify a new parking space for trucks that are ferrying fertilizers from the township, noting that the trucks are causing panic along the Liwonde–Ntaja road commonly known as the Bakili Muluzi Highway due to congestion.

A taxi operator, Thoko Samson, says the situation affects them whenever they encounter an emergency as most roads including a diversion road behind the district council is sometimes congested with the freightliners.

"It is very unfortunate that up to date we are still struggling with space challenges due to trucks that flock to Liwonde for fertilizer at Liwonde Fertilizer Terminal, yet the district council can just find a better parking lot for the trucks to avoid the delays we encounter on the road," said Samson.

A truck driver, George Luwiche agrees with Samson noting that they have no option but to utilize the available space in the township.

"We just park wherever we want including at the council's premises at night as we were not allocated enough and right space for our vehicles. I suggest that the Machinga district council should come up with a plan to address this problem,” he said.

Machinga District Director of Planning and Development, McPherson Mwakhwawa, says their initial arrangement to have a space behind the district's water development office as a parking area failed to materialize as it is waterlogged.

He, however, says they will follow up with stakeholders for any available space.

"We have a plan to use the land behind the water office but the place is very waterlogged which will require a lot of resources to address. We will engage our stakeholders to find a solution to this," said Mwakhwawa.

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