adminOne huge angle that is still being missed by many who are opposing the recent increase in road toll fees, to support their case, is the volume of vehicles themselves.
By December 2012, the road toll fees had already been existing for three years, with small vehicles paying US$1 and haulage trucks paying US$5. The year 2013 saw 206 000 vehicles being imported by November, adding to the ones that were already on the roads.
This excludes those that were bought from local vehicle assemblers.
From November 2013 up to now, any layman would hypothesise that not less than 100 000 more vehicles may have been imported. Again, these added to the already growing vehicle populace.
More vehicles roaming the length and breadth of our trunk roads. Certainly more revenue for the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara).
To roughly show that the increase in vehicle population had positive revenue consequences for Zinara, consider the two blitzes that were conducted by Zinara, one in May last year, another in May this year.
The May 2013 blitz generated US$4, 8 million whereas the May 2014 blitz realised US$6,1 million. Zinara is also on record saying their revenue from toll fees has increased by 75 percent since October last year, and that revenue collections had doubled in the first half of 2014 compared to the same period in 2013.
Although Zinara attributes the increase to more accountability due to the introduction of computerisation, we can easily tell that this is not the whole story.
The whole story is completed by the self evident fact that the vehicle population has been growing, and revenue collection has resultantly increased.
Against the above background; why, therefore, one might ask, increase toll fees when the growing vehicle population is already giving Zinara more revenue? The least Zinara could have done, one might argue, was to maintain the initial toll fee regime, if not rationalising it!
How convincing!
When this argument crossed my mind, it overwhelmed me — I was almost convinced. Alas, I still refuse to enrol to the school of thought of those who are learning that the toll fees hike is inappropriate.
In their argument, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said the increase was “oppressive and punitive, considering that motorists were already grappling under the old fees in an environment where disposable incomes are depressed”.
All good. Anyone would be an idiot to deny that. Those involved in international trade are also arguing that the toll fee increase frustrates the non-tariff barriers elimination endeavours that the Sadc and Comesa regions are currently working on.
True again. However, we must not throw away the baby along with the bathwater.
Zinara is still not collecting enough to meet its mandate, especially the road works. The road works include road signage, road furniture, street lighting, drainage, carriageway markings, resealing, re-gravelling, pothole patching, grass cutting, you name it.
To undertake routine maintenance, it is estimated that about US$36 million per annum is needed. In 2009, Zinara estimated that it needs about US$2 billion to rehabilitate the roads, most of which are aged and beyond their lifespan.
About 58 percent of the trunk roads covering about 1 865km are said to be above an average age of 27 years, indicating that there is urgent need for resurfacing and rehabilitation of these roads.
No one really wants to pay attention to the good side of the toll fees increase. In my view, the benefits of the increase outstrip, by far, the known costs so far.
The state of our trunk roads is so appalling, especially when looked at in the context of the current road carnage, and that alone will be good enough to justify the toll increase beyond doubt.
Globally, 1,3 million people die each year on the world’s roads and over 90 percent of those deaths occur in low and middle income countries. In Africa, road traffic injuries are said to be the fourth leading cause of death outside HIV, Malaria and Tuberculosis.
By 2020, the United Nations projects that worldwide fatalities from road crashes would have overtaken those from HIV. How despicable!
Back home, 29 200 people have died since 1997 due to road accidents, while 300 000 have been injured. Last year alone, 37 619 accidents were reported, the highest record since 2004. Last year’s accidents resulted in the death of 1 787 people, with 14 131 injured.
It is also disappointing to note that road accidents have more than doubled since 2008.
As long as our roads are in this kind of state, the incremental money that we are refusing to give Zinara will still be paid as ‘chema’, funeral expenses, or hospital fees, due to road accidents.
Who can put a price on their lives?
A report by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development, presented in the House in May indicated that the major causes of road accidents include bad state of roads, inadequate road signage and markings, among other factors.
The report also pointed out that: “The country’s road network is dilapidated and needs resurfacing. Lack of road shoulders to the already narrow roads and potholes has worsened the situation. The bad state of the roads also contributes to wear and tear of vehicles.”
What motorists should also note is that the current state of roads results in them incurring more expenses in vehicle maintenance, compared to a situation whereby roads are in good condition.
You have to take your car for service often times, and things like tyres and shocks will not last that much. What is better to cut on the expenditure of vehicle maintenance than to pay that marginal toll fee?
Surely paying additional toll fees will save motorists much better, especially in the context of ZLHR’s argument that we are in an environment where disposable incomes are depressed. We, therefore, do not want motorists to continue incurring excessive vehicle service costs.
The wear and tear that occurs to vehicles due to the poor state of the roads also reduces the lifespan of vehicles. Many of the vehicles being imported by individuals are second-hands from Japan and other countries.
These vehicles have already been used and stand to deteriorate rapidly when exposed to our road conditions. A few years down the line, you have to buy another car. Let us not be myopic when looking at this toll fee hike.
We need to look at the sustainable benefits it can bring to the whole transport system.
I have heard transport operators also arguing that the toll fee hike might force them to increase bus fares and transportation costs.
Transporters must not lie to us. If anything, this must result in them lowering maintenance costs, considering that there will be more money going towards road maintenance.
One of the non-tariff barriers that were reported against Zimbabwe by regional countries exporting to Zimbabwe was that of high insurance costs. The reason why they are high is largely because of the poor state of roads.
If the roads are to be maintained well due to additional resources now available to Zinara, the insurance costs will surely fall, and the transportation costs, including bus fares, will surely also decline.
The costs of transporting goods, per tonne per kilometre, are also high in Zimbabwe, compared to regional averages. It is actually one of the significant costs of doing business in Zimbabwe. We stand a better chance to attract more foreign investment if we are to bring our doing-business costs down.
The World Bank’s 2011 Doing Business Report noted that there is a high cost incurred in both importing and exporting, as measured in US$ per container, in Zimbabwe. It also discovered that, in the case of imports, the cost has more than doubled between 2008 and 2011, from US$2 420 to US$5 101.
The Government, in the 2011 Trade Policy Review, attributed these high transaction costs largely to the deterioration of transport and trade facilitation infrastructure. If all is pointing at the poor state of the roads, then we cannot blame ourselves for doing something that will bring us sustainable solutions and long term benefits to our economy.
The Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-Asset) notes that the transport sector continues to face challenges owing to factors such as resource constraints and obsolete equipment, and highlights the need to improve safety and security on the road transport network.
The Industrialisation Development Policy also identified road network as one of the necessary conditions for Zimbabwe’s industrialisation.
The IDP proffered that: “For easy transportation of raw materials and products for industry, the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure Development and Communications will ensure the improving, enhancing and extending of existing road network.”
Our roads are currently overstretched, since rail network is facing challenges.
As a result, you find bulky things which are supposed to be transported by rail, being transported via road, which also damages the roads.
Going forward, it would be critical to revive rail transportation and relieve pressure on roads.
We have already been told that we need US$450 million to rehabilitate the entire railway system and ensure it assumes its role as the primary system of transport for bulk commodities, exports and imports.
The Transport Ministry has also indicated it is negotiating with one financial institution for funding the railways recapitalisation programme and that it has also received two enquiries from potential investors who are considering investing in railways under the Rehabilitate Operate and Transfer arrangement.
It is hoped that this shall translate into reality.
Also critical would be to ensure corruption is weeded out in the collection of road toll fees and to prioritise road maintenance in spending revenue, as well as utilising revenue efficiently.
Transport is essential in linking people, resources and activities and in enabling the exchange of goods and information.
Let us work to make this happen effectively and efficiently.
Online Reporter