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Innocent Ruwende Municipal Reporter
HARARE City Council has embarked on a blitz targeting heavy vehicles entering and parking in residential areas. The council is reportedly making thousands of dollars from the operation which is also targeting the Central Business District where heavy vehicles are barred between 0800 and 1700 hrs daily.
The city’s chief traffic officer Mr Campion Chishava said the fine for parking and driving heavy vehicles in residential areas is US$218 and in the event that the truck is towed away an additional sum of US$109 would be charged.
“On a weekly basis the traffic section impounds up to 32 vehicles in the residential suburbs. It also impounds close to 900 other vehicles citywide.
“For each day the heavy truck stays in council storage, the owner would be asked to pay U$20,” he said.
Mr Chishava urged truck operators to remove all their trucks that are wrongly parked in residential areas,
Heavy vehicles are barred from residential areas because roads in the suburbs are not designed to cater for their weight. They also destroy infrastructure such as telephone and electricity lines and their noise and vibrations have an effect on housing properties.
The traffic section has set targets to meet every week in terms of revenue collection believed to be in the region of US$60 000.
The council is also expected to unveil its five-year development plan soon which is designed to create employment, attract investment and improve service delivery.
Town Clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi recently said in line with the requirements of local government, the city was also looking at ways of creating employment through public works programmes and partnerships.
He said council was going to aggressively look for partners to fund the programmes in a bid to improve service delivery.
Online Reporter