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Lloyd Gumbo Senior Reporter—
Motorists will pay at least 15 cents in urban toll fees when the exercise is implemented, compared to $2 that private light vehicles are paying on the highways. Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) board chairperson Mr Albert Mugabe said there was no intention to erect toll plazas similar to those on highways.

He made the remarks early this week while appearing before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Local Government, Public Works and National Housing chaired by Cde Irene Zindi (Zanu-PF).

Cde Zindi had asked the rationale behind urban tollgates.

“We appreciate that motorists are already burdened by heavy taxes, but because we are considering an e-system, it is possible that the toll will not be in the denominations that are available of a $1 or $0.50,” said Mr Mugabe.

“An appropriate toll can actually be put forward after consultations and engagement with stakeholders, including the local authorities. If it’s an electronic system, it’s easy to say $0.15 or $0.10 to go through. Cumulatively, it becomes a figure that greatly enhances and improves what we do on the road network.”

Mr Mugabe said given that they would use an electronic system, they did not consider constructing toll plazas.

“There are systems that have been developed and generated in other parts of the world that we are considering and looking at which one will work best for us.

“The advantage we have is that we have an electronic database of vehicles that are in the country. That is our starting point, it allows us greater flexibility as to the actual system that we are going to implement.

“Yes, certainly we believe that there will be a spin-off effect as there will be some decongestion. There are certain motorists who will now think twice before they just drive through and add congestion to certain areas,” he said.

Mr Mugabe said the urban tolling would enable them to track vehicles that default on licences.

He said some vehicles still had old number plates more than three years after the introduction of new ones.

“But with the urban tolling system, all those vehicles will be in our system and will become contributors to the road fund and that will greatly help us to generate revenue that we need to make a more discernible impact.

“It also help us when we are going out and reaching out to investors both local and international, it means the pot we have grown it slightly bigger which means we can borrow significantly more which will help us halt the decay on our roads.”