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Revisit scheme on tollgates
The Herald (Zimbabwe)
February 23, 2008

http://allafrica.com/stories/200802250062.html

Harare's roads are in a sorry state. We cannot continue to ignore this. A drive around the city shows that the major roads are riddled with potholes.

The condition of the roads is likely to deteriorate further given that the rainy season is not yet over.

That the private sector is now chipping in with equipment and other resources to repair the roads is an indictment on the council's dismal failure to do its job, which it is paid by ratepayers to perform.

Yesterday, we carried a report that the Harare City Council received five vehicles from the private companies to speed up the patching of potholes in the city and surrounding areas.

The corporate sector can even go further by forging partnerships with Harare City Council on road maintenance.

Potholes are a growing menace, with the surface of some roads being a little more than patched patches, because the programme of regular resurfacing and, where necessary reconstruction, is put off year after year.

Most motorists are now paying far more for early replacement of tyres than they would if there was an adequate licence fee that would take into account road maintenance costs.

For a number of years, Harare City Council has not invested in heavy construction equipment, which is critical in efforts to preserve road infrastructure.

Of utmost importance is the preservation of human life.

Some of the road accidents in the city and its surrounding areas are a direct result of the bad roads. Such accidents have, in some cases, resulted in loss of life and serious damage to vehicles.

We know that the Harare City Council is short of money and that some roads need complete rebuilding.

But the vast majority of potholes are on roads that first need very minor repairs now to be brought back into full working order.

If left, these potholes will grow and grow, and eventually lead to trillion-dollar reconstruction. The best time to fix a pothole is when it has just formed, before it has time to grow.

On many suburban roads, public-spirited residents have filled the potholes with gravel and clay.

They must be commended.

But it is unfair that they carry the burden and their repairs can only be temporary.

And there is no way the city can expect residents to fix potholes on major highways and dual carriageways. And yet these potholes are the most dangerous since they are on high speed city arteries and cause the most damage.

The City of Harare has started patching some of the main roads in the city and a lot of ground needs to be covered.

Whatever happened to the concept of tollgates in Harare?

If tollgates were set up, motorists would not mind paying an extra fee when the roads are in good condition.

They want to see well-maintained and safe roads in exchange for their hard-earned money.

Harare City Council should revisit this idea as fees paid at tollgates would go into an account to cater for road maintenance and upgrading.

Most of the roads in Harare have outlived their design life and require a complete overhaul.

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