Urban toll gates loom

WORK to set up toll gates in major cities has begun with a government technical team identifying possible sites while tenders for the implementation of the project would be flighted before month-end, a Cabinet minister has said.

Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister, Dr Obert Mpofu told Chronicle that establishing urban tolls was the panacea to upgrading the dilapidated road infrastructure in towns and cities.

"We are already in the process of identifying sites for the toll gates in urban and peri-urban areas throughout the country.  The exercise is at an advanced stage," said Dr Mpofu.

"Once we are done we will flight tenders before the end of this month as we get ready for the implementation of the project."

Dr Mpofu added: "The whole process will definitely cost a lot of money but the toll gates will generate more money for repairing roads and developing infrastructure."

He could not be drawn to reveal the number of toll gates to be established in the cities saying that would depend on recommendations from the technical team identifying the sites.

"I cannot tell how many toll gates we are going to have because our technical team is on the ground spotting suitable sites in all urban and peri-urban areas.  Once they are through they will give us their recommendations then we start from there," said Dr Mpofu.

"We are treating the project as a matter of urgency because most of the country's roads are in a deplorable state."

While a lot of questions arise as to how the urban tolls would be implemented, Dr Mpofu said his ministry was encouraged to adopt the system after noting its successes in other countries.

"I am certain that this project is going to be successful because urban tolling has been successfully implemented in other countries. The identification process will target places where there are many cars," he said.

"The idea is to improve our road network system in our cities and towns having realised that most traffic is found in urban centres resulting in unnecessary congestion. Motorists should therefore contribute towards infrastructural development."

Dr Mpofu announced the proposal to introduce urban tollgates soon after his appointment to the transport portfolio in September last year.  The proposal was received with mixed reactions from different interested parties but government insisted that the system had more merits than disadvantages.

He is on record saying urban tolls will raise money to finance infrastructural development, decongest the city centres and reduce carbon emissions.

Interested parties felt government needed to complete establishment of tollgates on the highways while others said urban tolls could worsen congestion.

Local authorities, however, threw their weight behind Dr Mpofu saying the move would assist them improve roads.   He cited London, Stockholm and Oslo as model cities of the system with South Africa being the latest regional addition.