Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
MOTORISTS can expect smoother journeys along the Harare-Bulawayo corridor following the commissioning of the new Norton Toll Plaza, a modern facility designed to alleviate traffic bottlenecks and enhance revenue collection for road maintenance.
Yesterday, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona led the official opening of the plaza, joined by Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Marian Chombo, ZINARA board chairperson Dr George Manyaya, ZINARA chief executive Mr Nkosinathi Ncube, legislators and senior Government officials.
The new plaza is part of a broader Government initiative to replace outdated toll gates with multi-lane plazas, allowing faster vehicle processing and reduced congestion.
Zimbabwe has 33 tolling points nationwide, many of which are set for similar upgrades.
In his address, Minister Mhona outlined the plaza’s expected benefits, which include reducing congestion.
“Indeed, this vital infrastructure will: reduce congestion at the tolling point; promote flawless transit facilitation past the tolling point; enhance revenue collection for road maintenance; promote speedy transactions and save time; as well as promote economic development,” he said.
He acknowledged delays in the project, citing administrative bottlenecks.
“The ZINARA board was not complemented with the equal zeal and energy from my Ministry, particularly the Department of Roads,” Minister Mhona said.
To overcome these hurdles, the Government enacted Statutory Instrument 5 of 2024, empowering ZINARA to directly manage toll infrastructure projects.
Looking ahead, the Minister urged accelerated progress.
“I thus urge you to be more vigilant and progressive for us to commission several of these Toll Plazas in 2026 and beyond,” he said.
He also outlined a vision for a future shift to All-Electronic Tolling (AET).
“This is a system that harnesses the value of advanced technology to collect tolls without requiring vehicles to stop or slow down,” Minister Mhona said.
He challenged authorities to integrate technologies like high-speed cameras, 5G and artificial intelligence for seamless digital operations.
The commissioning aligns with ZINARA’s ongoing rollout of electronic tolling solutions, including the recently introduced eTag system for cashless payments.
Revenue generated from the plaza will be channelled towards road maintenance and infrastructure development, supporting the country’s growing transport network.
