WATCH: Zinara to upgrade top six tollgates

THE Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) is upgrading six priority toll gates to plaza status in a bid to boost revenue collection and enhance the safety of motorists and staff.

WATCH:https://youtu.be/f3J0Z1oa2-s

The earmarked tollgates are in high traffic routes including the Esigodini toll gate along the Bulawayo- Beitbridge road.

In an interview at Esigodini tollgate on the sideline of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development, ZINARA chief executive officer, Mr Nkosinathi Ncube said it is critical to upgrade existing tollgates on major highways to ensure they can cope rapidly and easily with the growing volumes of traffic and do not become a choke point.

“According to the plans we are implementing, there is a need to upgrade toll gates. We are not just upgrading toll gates to make them appear flashy but for several purposes chief among being the issues of revenue collection and making sure we have no revenue leakages,” said Mr Ncube.

“We are also looking at the issue of security and safety for both motorists and our staff is of paramount importance in line with the new road. We are not splashing resources but we are going to start with those tollgates that give us higher revenue. We are also upgrading tollgates around Harare, the one leading to Masvingo currently called Skyline.

“Esigodini tollgate will also be upgraded and coming out of Gweru we have the Flamingo tollgate which is another busy one.”

The Parliamentary committee is on a tour that is aimed at giving the legislators an in-depth understanding of Zinara’s operations and had a brief stopover at Esigodini tollgate.

Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development Chairperson Knowledge Kaitano said the tour is meant to broaden the legislator’s knowledge on Zinara operations.