High-tech tollgates on the cards for Zimbabwe's single lane highways

ZIMBABWE is introducing electronic tollgates on some of its major highways after taking delivery of new equipment from China, officials said.
Partson Mbiriri, the permanent secretary in the ministry, told parliament that the new development was designed to increase efficiency.
"Our equipment is now at Beira, Mozambique, and we are waiting for it to be brought into the country," Mbiriri said while giving evidence to the Parliamentary Committee on Transport and Communications.
China has emerged as Zimbabwe's key business partner following the economic embargo and travel ban slapped on President Robert Mugabe and his key allies in Zanu PF by the European Union and the US.
Mbiriri's revelations came just weeks after Transport Minister Nicholas Goche told Parliament that the manual tollgates currently on the motorways were "shambolic".
Zimbabwe has 25 tollgates along the highways countrywide and are manned by officers from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) whose performance has been widely questioned.
"Our teams went to South Africa to study how the system works and we are ready to implement it in the country" said Mbiriri