LILONGWE – Malawi’s worsening fuel shortage has triggered sharp increases in public transport fares, forcing commuters to spend significantly more on daily journeys while some passengers resort to walking or hitching rides to cope with the rising costs. The crisis has also seen long queues return at filling stations, with transport operators spending hours searching for fuel and, in some cases, turning to the black market where petrol is reportedly selling for as much as MWK20,000 per liter. In Lilongwe, passengers travelling from Area 25 to the Old Town are now paying about MWK6,000, up from MWK4,000, while fares to Mponela in Dowa have risen to MWK11,000 from MWK6,000. The increases have also hit traders whose livelihoods depend on daily...