Zimbabwe building new computerised tollgate structures

by Moyo Roy

2011 July 13 16:37:29 | 616 Views

The Transport will soon start building new permanent computerised tollgate structures with enhanced security features that will minimise pilferage, a Cabinet minister has said.

This comes as the Government said it was disappointed with the quality of the tollgates done by the contracted companies.

Transport minister Nicholas Goche, who was speaking before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development yesterday, conceded the current tollgates were substandard hence they were only short- term measures which would soon pave way to permanent structures.

Goche told the committee the dualisation of major roads such as the Harare-Masvingo, and Harare-Bulawayo highways were taking long because donors were not forthcoming.

Minister Goche indicated that Zim Highways, a consortium of local construction companies that won the tender to dualise the Harare-Beitbridge Road more than 10 years ago, had failed to prove that they had the financial muscle to carry out the project.

He said Government had since declined to sign the concession agreement.

The minister said Zim Highways had been courting various financial institutions in South Africa in their bid to sell the project that would see them pocket money and leave the seller to collect revenue in toll fees under the Build, Operate and Transfer model.

Zim Highways approached the Development Bank of South Africa and Nembe Investments but the latter declined to partner the consortium after it failed to show that it had the money for the joint venture, said Minister Goche.

The National Economic Consultative Forum had also made its independent investigations to establish the financial status of Zim Highways.

On tollgates, Minister Goche said the current structures were temporary.

In May 2009 there was a conference of donors who agreed to pool US$1,2 billion for the North South corridor but only US$40 million has to date been made available to the Development Bank of South Africa, which was identified as the financial agent.

The North South corridor included roads leading to Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Due to the strategic centrality of Zimbabwe in the region as a thoroughfare, the North South Corridor, of which the Harare Beitbridge stretch is considered to be of crucial importance.

Government then signed an agreement with DBSA for the Plumtre Mutare highway where Group Five International will be the main contractors but will sub-contract local companies.

Tollgates Computerised

Source: Byo24News