News / Regional
Beitbridge Border post ready for Easter traffic
16 Apr 2014 at 06:57hrs | Views
THE Department of Immigration is geared up for an increased volume of traffic expected at Beitbridge Border Post during the Easter holidays, a senior official has said.
Assistant regional immigration officer-in-charge of Beitbridge, Notius Tarisai said they had come up with a raft of measures to ensure the smooth flow of traffic.
He said they will implement a banking style clearance system which will see travellers being cleared on any available counter one person at a time and would continue to review operations every day depending on the pressure at hand.
An average of 8,000 travellers access the border per day and the number increases to around 20,000 during peak periods. Further, a total of 2,100 buses, 14,000 to 15,000 haulage trucks and 25,000 private cars pass through the border on monthly basis.
"We have separated traffic into buses, commercial, tourists and transit and returning residents.
"Those travelling in buses and returning residents will be cleared outside the immigration hall, while those in transit and other travellers will be cleared inside the main immigration hall.
"We have also dedicated another counter for local travellers and truck drivers outside the main immigration hall.
"Presently all these are cleared at the same counters. We have also devised a tagging system of clearing passengers in buses in their order of arrival, a system which has proved to be effective in decongesting the border post," he said.
Tarisai said they had agreed in principle with their counterparts in South Africa to align the clearance of both human and vehicular traffic on both sides on the border.
"We will collapse our four shifts to two with effect from today and we will be alternating between three and two depending on the volume of traffic until the end of the Easter holidays.
"Furthermore, we have suspended all off and leave days. We have received 14 more officers from less busy stations to beef up operations at Beitbridge Border Post," said Tarisai.
He said they have a staff complement of 52 and needed an additional 15 to operate at full capacity.
"We have also deployed our security guards to all entry and exit points to ensure the safety of travellers.
"These will also help prevent the entering of the border by touts and illegal vendors who would want to capitalise on the increase in traffic during that period. The presence of touts was fuelling corruption and scaring away tourists," said Tarisai.
Matabeleland South police spokesman Inspector Philisani Ndebele said they had deployed enough manpower on the ground.
"We have adequately deployed and are ready for the Easter holidays. As police we would want to urge members of the public to complement our efforts in ensuring a peaceful holiday," he said.
Assistant regional immigration officer-in-charge of Beitbridge, Notius Tarisai said they had come up with a raft of measures to ensure the smooth flow of traffic.
He said they will implement a banking style clearance system which will see travellers being cleared on any available counter one person at a time and would continue to review operations every day depending on the pressure at hand.
An average of 8,000 travellers access the border per day and the number increases to around 20,000 during peak periods. Further, a total of 2,100 buses, 14,000 to 15,000 haulage trucks and 25,000 private cars pass through the border on monthly basis.
"We have separated traffic into buses, commercial, tourists and transit and returning residents.
"Those travelling in buses and returning residents will be cleared outside the immigration hall, while those in transit and other travellers will be cleared inside the main immigration hall.
"We have also dedicated another counter for local travellers and truck drivers outside the main immigration hall.
"Presently all these are cleared at the same counters. We have also devised a tagging system of clearing passengers in buses in their order of arrival, a system which has proved to be effective in decongesting the border post," he said.
"We will collapse our four shifts to two with effect from today and we will be alternating between three and two depending on the volume of traffic until the end of the Easter holidays.
"Furthermore, we have suspended all off and leave days. We have received 14 more officers from less busy stations to beef up operations at Beitbridge Border Post," said Tarisai.
He said they have a staff complement of 52 and needed an additional 15 to operate at full capacity.
"We have also deployed our security guards to all entry and exit points to ensure the safety of travellers.
"These will also help prevent the entering of the border by touts and illegal vendors who would want to capitalise on the increase in traffic during that period. The presence of touts was fuelling corruption and scaring away tourists," said Tarisai.
Matabeleland South police spokesman Inspector Philisani Ndebele said they had deployed enough manpower on the ground.
"We have adequately deployed and are ready for the Easter holidays. As police we would want to urge members of the public to complement our efforts in ensuring a peaceful holiday," he said.
Source - chronicle
