By Duncan Mlanjira
Central East African Railways (CEAR) has warned Malawians to be wary of all adverts that are circulating on social media about group fun train rides, saying such “adverts are from unscrupulous individuals who would like to defraud innocent Malawians”.
CEAR has issued the public disclaimer following plans by a group of Malawians to organise a fun train ride from Limbe to Balaka on November 30 as a reminisce of the good old days when the country used to have such fun events ahead of Christmas.
But CEAR says in a disclaimer that it is not providing any hiring services on all its passenger coaches for any sort of train rides in 2019 except for the provision of the normal passenger service.
Normal passengers
“Any institution or groups that would like to board our passenger train [can] do so on the days that the passenger train moves and pay the recommended prices set by the company in agreement with the Malawi Government.
“The general public is, therefore, being informed that CEAR will not be held liable for any money paid as train rides fares to these individuals, who are masquerading as organizers of the purported ‘Fun Train Rides.’”
When contacted, CEAR public relations officer, Chisomo Mwamadi, says the company came up with this policy of not hiring out to groups or organisations because of what happened last year when people went to their offices to claim for refunds of an aborted fun ride when CEAR was not at all the one organising.
Mwamadi, CEAR PRO
As to the latest involving the social group calling themselves, ‘Blantyre 70s Oldies-Reformed Crew’, Mwamadi said CEAR management was not aware of this arrangement until on Tuesday and thus the disclaimer was done.
He said the CEAR passenger section did not consult other relevant departments on the matter because it had already alerted the group that they can come as a group but in an individual passenger ticket fare as is for any other passenger on a regular passenger train service.
One of the organisers, Harold Bema
“We postponed hiring out last year after the incident where people collected money from the public for a ride and later bolted and the public started coming this side, thinking it was CEAR,” Mwamadi said.
One of the organisers of The Blantyre 70s Oldies, Harold Bema they were called for a meeting on Tuesday where CEAR raised concerns such as that they were not happy with the fare that is on their flyer indicating the fare of K4,000 that has been proposed and agreed by the group.
“They were were not pleased with that and said we should indicate their recommended fare of K1,700 since it will mislead their usual normal passengers.
Inside the luxury coach
“In the resolution, CEAR approved that the trip can go ahead and they suggested that they should release a disclaimer to distance themselves.
“We agreed on it to be published and they also advised us to market the train ride amongst the Blantyre 70s Oldies group only because it is going to be manageable,” Bema said.
In an earlier report on Maravi Express, Bema had indicated that the group was aware that they will utilize the normal service train and where possible CEAR could add a coach according to numbers booked well in advance.
“It’s one way by train to Balaka and a bus trip back to Blantyre since the routine train service returns to Blantyre after the next two days.
At Shire North
“The fare of K4,000 was agreed by the group to cater for the group members’ individual train ticket fare, the return bus trip and other incidentals that we may encounter as a group along the way.”
He also said this was one way they can support the local service provider which entices the members to expect a luxury ride coupled with beautiful scenery of the Shire Valley at what is called Shire North train station.
Bema said the idea was mooted during one of their get together parties they have been having where many of the members had expressed their disappointment that they have never been on a train ride before.
Ahead of Christmas in the past, institutions and groups used to organise fun events such as Christmas Fair that started with a train ride from Blantyre to Limbe Auction Floors where the Christmas Fair used to take place annually.
On a Facebook comment, Mike Lazaro Masina responded by saying December school holidays were something he shall always cherish.
“This reminds me of my childhood in Blantyre when we could either go for Christmas bus rides around Blantyre city, Christmas fair at Auction Floors in Limbe or fun train rides to Luchenza, Balaka or Liwonde.
“It’s funny that my daughter, Precious at nine years old, has never been on a train. How I wish those days were back!”
Ike Mbekeani responded: “You can say that again. We passed a level crossing in Balaka and I told my daughter that it’s a railway for trains. She was surprised asked ‘are there trains in Malawi?’”