Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
Government has begun training engineers and road sector personnel ahead of the National Road Condition Survey.
This is nationwide exercise expected to provide an up-to-date assessment of Zimbabwe’s road network to guide maintenance, rehabilitation and future infrastructure investment.
The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, in collaboration with the Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency (ZINGSA), is conducting a Training of Trainers programme at Mandel Training Centre in Harare in preparation for the survey.
The programme has brought together engineers, officers and surveyors from the Ministry, the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara), the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA), as well as urban and rural local authorities.
Participants are being trained to operate the new Road Condition Survey System, an Android – based digital platform designed to enable the accurate collection, verification and analysis of road condition data.
In a statement, the Ministry said the programme would improve the quality and consistency of road asset data while strengthening planning for infrastructure development.
“The programme will strengthen the standardisation of road asset classification, improve data-driven planning for road rehabilitation and enhance collaboration between field teams and engineers. It marks another important step towards leveraging digital technologies to support efficient road infrastructure management across Zimbabwe,” the Ministry said.
The National Road Condition Survey is a comprehensive assessment of the physical state of the country’s road network.
During the exercise, trained teams inspect roads and record information such as pavement condition, surface defects, drainage systems, bridges, traffic signs and other road assets using standardised digital tools.
The survey provides Government and road authorities with reliable data to determine which roads require routine maintenance, rehabilitation or complete reconstruction, while also helping to prioritise projects based on need and available resources.
By replacing manual assessments with digital data collection, the survey is expected to improve the accuracy of road condition reporting, reduce inconsistencies and support evidence-based decision-making.
The information gathered will also enable authorities to monitor changes in road conditions over time, making it easier to plan maintenance interventions before roads deteriorate further and require more costly repairs.
