Online Reporter
Trust Freddy
Herald Correspondent
THE City of Harare, in partnership with City Parking, has commenced the installation of smart, solar-powered traffic lights mounted on reinforced concrete pillars across the Central Business District (CBD) in a robust bid to curb traffic congestion and motorist lawlessness.
The infrastructure upgrade, funded under City Parking’s Traffic Signals Rehabilitation Project, is designed to seamlessly complement the central Government’s ongoing programme of installing surveillance cameras at major intersections across the capital.
The transition to concrete-reinforced pillars follows an unsustainable pattern of infrastructure vandalism and accidents in the CBD.
According to municipal authorities, newly installed traffic signals would previously last less than a month before being demolished by reckless motorists.
With the new design, the reinforced pillars are built to withstand heavy impacts, resulting in severe damage to the offending vehicles instead of the public infrastructure.
The integration of solar technology also ensures that the intersections remain fully functional during power outages, eliminating the gridlock typically caused by load-shedding.
Local motorists have welcomed the development, praising the high visibility of the new systems and the introduction of digital countdown timers at the upgraded intersections.
“This is definitely the way to go, and we are glad that these traffic lights are much more visible,” said local motorist Mr Justin Chirenda.
“The digital timers allow you to count down the seconds and see exactly when the light is about to change.
“Going forward, drivers will have no excuse for crossing the line because the timer clearly alerts you when it is time to stop.”
Another motorist, Ms Tariro Chikuse, noted that the modernisation of the inner-city traffic system was long overdue.
“We welcome this development because the older traffic lights at other junctions do not function well and often change abruptly while you are already in the middle of crossing,” she said.
“These new ones give you ample warning, and we are happy that they are being aligned with the smart surveillance cameras.”
City Parking public relations manager, Mr Francis Mandaza, confirmed the development, stating that the company plans to roll out the advanced traffic lights to all major intersections.
“As City Parking, we are channeling parking revenue towards the Traffic Signals Rehabilitation Project,” Mr Mandaza said.
“In partnership with the City of Harare, we are installing solar-powered traffic lights at major intersections across the Harare CBD—a move that is expected to significantly improve traffic flow and ease congestion.
“We have already completed the installation at the intersection of Julius Nyerere Way and Robert Mugabe Way and are now moving to other key junctions.
“Additionally, a central control room will allow us to monitor traffic in real-time during peak hours, enabling us to dynamically adjust light timings and clear sides with heavier traffic volume.”
The dual enforcement of impact-resistant concrete pillars and electronic camera surveillance is expected to significantly restore order and safety to Harare’s roads.
