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Robson Sharuko
Editor
HARARE is probably the only capital city in the world whose residents just drive into the CBD to get their nails done or drink beer at their favourite city centre joints, the capital’s Mayor, Jacob Mafume, has said.
The city’s authorities should find ways to deal with some of these issues as part of a cocktail of measures to reduce congestion in the Harare CBD, an area which is now choked with all sorts of vehicles.
Mafume said time had come for authorities to tame the traffic jungle and there was need for everyone involved in the exercise to think outside the box in trying to find lasting solutions.
He said this when he addressed journalists at a function he held at the Mayoral mansion in Gunhill at the weekend.
“We have to think outside the box,” he said.
“Other countries introduced congestion fees for a certain radius.
“In Harare, someone comes from her suburb and drives a car to come to town to just get her nails done.
“In other countries, if you want to do such an activity, you will never go to the city centre.
“Other countries make it in such a way that when you want to go into town, it’s a profitable exercise, otherwise you use public transport.
“In this country, someone will tell you I want to go to the city centre because that’s where I love to drink my beer and he gets into the congestion.”
Mafume said the road infrastructure in the city should be improved as part of measures to deal with congestion.
“Of course, the road infrastructure needs to be widened, we need bypasses, people who cross Harare, and who might not need to get into the city centre to do so, don’t have to do so.
“If you are coming from Bulawayo, going to Mutare or other parts of the country, why do you need to pass through the Harare city centre, Samora Machel, for you to do so?
“We need to divert that traffic, you can’t call Samora Machel a national road, it is a city road, a shopping centre road.
“We need bypasses which will take them away from the city centre and release them outside the city centre on their way to Mutare or Masvingo.”
Mafume said some of the islands on the city’s major streets like Samora Machel and Julius Nyerere were not adding any value to the capital city.
He said he believes the islands should be removed and help add extra lanes to the major streets.
Online Reporter