GOVT : WE ARE REVAMPING TOLL GATES

Government is revamping toll gates into modern toll plazas to improve traffic flow, reduce congestion and align the country’s road infrastructure with regional and international standards.

The modernised toll plaza in Norton along the Harare Bulawayo Highway bears testimony to government’s thrust in modernising the country’s road infrastructure so that it matches regional and international standards.

The new plaza has been expanded, with the addition of four other lanes, designed to handle the high volume of traffic along the route.

“This is an advantage to us as motorists because we are no longer delayed.

“The system is convenient, we are happy, and they must replicate this to all other toll gates,” motorists said.

The upgraded Norton toll plaza exemplifies government’s strategic focus on infrastructure modernisation as key to achieving aspirations of an upper middle income society by 2030.

“The project has stalled for years and the president. This is the narrative we are running with. This is one of our flagship we are modernising all toll gates. We are also widening our roads. This augers very well in enhancing connectivity on this corridor especially the north south corridor,” Minister of transport and infrastructural development,Honorable Felix Mhona said.

Motorists have been encouraged to register for the e-tag system to take full advantage of the automated lanes and avoid manual payment delays.

“We are looking at a situation where toll gates are convenient to people not a huddle for motorist. On a peak period we process 13 thousand vehicles per day at this toll gate so we need proper infrastructure. Dema is already underway. All major toll gates that exit Harare will be attended to,” ZINARA CEO, Mr Nkosinathi Ncube stated.

“We are happy as a province through investment in infrastructure in our province. It’s the first of its kind in the province the road is very busy we saw motorist having queues but it’s now a thing of the past,” Mashonaland West Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Marian Chombo said.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is on record that the success of the country’s road infrastructure projects mirrors other success stories recorded across different key sectors of the economy.

“We also scored remarkable successes in abroad array of areas, including infrastructure construction projects, mining, manufacturing and tourism. In the social sector, gains were recorded in education, skills development as well as inclusive empowerment programmes for the youth, women and Veterans of the Liberation Struggle, among many others,” President Emmerson Mnangagwa said.

At least six toll gates that include Skyline, Juru, Dema and Esigodini are earmarked for transformation into toll plazas in the near future. zbc