10 tollgates lie idle
AT LEAST 10 new tollgates are lying idle almost two years after their construction on various highways due to bureaucratic tendering processes, thereby prejudicing Government of thousands of dollars in revenue collection.
The funds that were used in the construction of the tollgates that are now white elephants along the country’s highways is also yet to be recovered.
Sources close to the matter said things were at a standstill largely because some officials in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development were not keen to take on board the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration’s partner Univern Enterprises.
Zinara partnered Univern Enterprises to computerise the current working tollgates. Outside the tollgates administered by Zinara and Univern Enterprises, there are other eight toll plazas along the Plumtree-Mutare Highway, where Intertoll Zimbabwe, a local unit of South African firm Intertoll Africa is collecting toll fees.
Zinara board chairman Mr Albert Mugabe confirmed to The Herald yesterday that the tollgates were lying idle due to a number of reasons and that indeed they had lost potential revenue.
He said from their side, they were ready to operationalise the tollgates once they got a nod from the Department of Roads in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development.
Mr Mugabe said another intervening factor was that some of the tollgates were along the Beitbridge-Chirundu Highway, where another company had been awarded a tender to dualise the road.
“There are many issues on that matter, but the main one I think is that some of the tollgates are along the Beitbridge-Chirundu Highway, where another company has already been awarded a tender to dualise the road,” he said.
“We realised that it will not be prudent for us to do other contracts when that company will eventually come and set tollgates on the same road. On the other roads, the Department of Roads is the custodian of the highways and even the decision on where to erect the toll- gates is theirs. Our role in tolling is that we are a Government agent and possibly they (Department of Roads) want to explore a different system from ours. We are not sure of their intentions, but I think they want to see what the best option for them is.”
Added Mr Mugabe: “Yes, we have lost revenue considering what we could have raised since those tollgates were erected. We have set our own targets, hoping things will go according to plans.”
A source close to the developments said: “Government has tendered for a new contractor to partner with Zinara on the tollgates. There is a lot of politics behind because records clearly show that after engaging Univern Enterprises, Zinara’s collections improved remarkably but still, some officials in the ministry argue that Government cannot have all its eggs in one basket.
“They said they do not want to create a monopolistic situation and that there may be a crisis if the Univern system is to develop a problem.”
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Dr Joram Gumbo could not be reached to comment on the matter yesterday.
The ministry’s principal director, Engineer Eric Mufaro Gumbie, who also oversees the Department of Roads, was also not reachable.