HERALD

Harare — Government has raked in US$12 million in tollgate fees as of March 30 this year and the bulk of the money has been spent on trunk roads rehabilitation and pothole patching.

However, most of the major roads where tollgates were set up are still in a dire state seven months after the introduction of toll fees in August last year.

The 22 tollgates established on the country's major roads are cashing in an average US$1,3 million every month.

However, the tolling stations are still to be expanded and staff spent the rainy season working in the open.

Secretary for Transport, Communications and Infrastru-ctural Development Mr Partson Mbiriri last Friday said the collected money was not enough to cater for all road requirements.

"The total fees collected by Zimra (Zimbabwe Revenue Authority) from 18th August 2009 to the end of March 2010 is US$12 204 159, 15. The total amount disbursed to Zinara (Zimbabwe National Road Authority) is US$9 053 534,43. We appreciate that the money is a useful amount but it is not adequate to cater for all requirements on our trunk roads.

"US$3 million has been to date disbursed to eight provinces for the maintenance of regional, primary and to a limited extent to secondary road network for pothole patching, grass cutting and bush clearing," he said.

Mr Mbiriri said US$280 000 was spent on the resurfacing of Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road for a distance of 12km while US$620 000 was allocated to five tollgate sites for widening purposes.

Among the sites widened were Esbank along the Harare-Bindura Road, Ruwa along the Harare-Mutare Road and Seke along the Seke-Wedza Road.

Another US$120 000, Mr Mbiriri said, was allocated to traffic counting at 16 tollgate sites to verify the toll fees collected by Zimra at these points while US$873 330,77 was expended on the rehabilitation of the old section of the Harare-Norton Road for a distance of about 11km.

Work on this road is still underway and it is being carried out in conjunction with the City of Harare's department of engineering.

Mr Mbiriri said US$2 744 000 was committed to the erection of tollgate shelter, construction of two weighbridges in Manicaland Province and other traffic safety equipment.

"US$2 400 000 was designated for erection of tollgate shelter and tenders were awarded to Tega Steel and Morewear Industries, which are already excavating foundations.

"US$144 000 was disbursed for the construction of two weighbridges on either side of Birchenough Bridge in order to protect the bridge from being destroyed by overloaded vehicles while US$200 000 was budgeted for the purchase of traffic safety equipment to be used on the regional trunk road and primary road network," he said.

Mr Mbiriri said the remaining US$1 407 468 was earmarked for the continued maintenance of the regional trunk road and primary road network.

A lot of noise has been made on how tollgate fees were being used since most of the roads had remained in a deplorable state.