The Mozambican Government signed an agreement last week to buy buses from Matchedje Motors in a bid to improve urban public transport system in the country, Mozambique News Agency reported.

Mozambican Transport Minister Carlos Mesquita was quoted saying that the new buses would reduce the use of open pickup trucks for passenger transportation in the African country.

Matchedje Motors was founded around four years ago in the town of Machava on the outskirts of the Mozambican capital, Maputo,. The company is funded by investment from China Tong Jian Investment.

The cost of buying buses from Matchedje Motors was lower than purchasing them on the international market, Mr Mesquita was quoted as saying. “The company has also guaranteed maintenance of the vehicles,” he added.

The news agency did not specify the number of buses to be bought; it only reported that Matchedje Motors has so far sold 60 light and heavy vehicles.

Song Shengjie, general manager of Matchedje Motors, told the news agency that the company had so far invested US$20 million in a vehicle assembly plant, which started operations in Mozambique last year.