Govt set to roll out US$80m smart traffic system

Wallace Ruzvidzo Herald Reporter

A MULTI-MILLION dollar smart traffic management system will soon be rolled out in Zimbabwe to address a plethora of road-related issues, including bringing to book offenders, reducing road carnage, traffic congestion and corruption.

Dubai-based company, Vitronic Machine Vision Middle East, will be the leading private investor in the public-private partnership and will inject an initial investment of around US$80 million, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere, said after the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Once actioned, the system will see the enforcement of the law by bringing to book all traffic regulations violators, reduction of road carnage and traffic congestion in city centres.

The new system will also reduce corruption as there would be minimal human interface. This will improve revenue streams for Government, which will be used to improve policing and enhance national security, as intelligent cameras would be installed and linked to the database of stolen vehicles and wanted criminals.

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Dr Muswere said the project would be first rolled out in Harare and Bulawayo, before being cascaded to other cities and towns.

“Cabinet received a report and approved the engagement of Vitronic Machine Vision Middle East in implementing a smart traffic management system in Zimbabwe, as presented by the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Honourable Kazembe Kazembe,” he said.

Vitronic Machine Vision Middle East is a Dubai-based company that specialises in smart traffic management systems and has installed similar systems in a number of countries including Morocco, Rwanda, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany and Belarus.

The company was in the country from May 12 to 16, 2024, to work out implementation modalities for the new system and held discussions with key stakeholders.

It would recover its investment from fines paid for traffic violations, through a revenue sharing arrangement.

“The installation of the smart traffic management system will benefit Zimbabwe in a number of ways including enforcement of the law by bringing to book all traffic regulation violators, reduction of road carnage, reduction of traffic congestion in the central business district and reduction in corruption, as there will be minimal human intervention.”

The Second Republic has been on a major drive to ensure compliance with road rules and statutes, safety and corruption-free processes on the country’s road network.