Step Inside the Norton Toll Plaza Launch Event

BY NATHAN GUMA

IN the drizzle, cars slowly make their way to the Norton Toll Plaza, 47.6 km south-west of Harare’s central business district.

Rain blurs windshields as motorists travelling to the capital along Bulawayo Road slow down at the toll booths for the usual stop-and-pay.

Instead, outside the booth, they are met by a man clad in national dress, signalling to every motorist with a smile.

It is the Minister of Transport, Felix Mhona, introducing himself to surprised drivers and waving them through, announcing that for the next hour, the toll gate was free, one of the key moments marking the official opening of the plaza.

For small cars, it is a big gesture, but for truckers, buses and commuter omnibus drivers, it is a huge saving.

This is because they have to be economical with their earnings to meet their daily targets.

A toll plaza is a purpose-built roadway facility where vehicles stop to pay road user fees through multiple lanes and booths.

While Bulawayo Road was being dualised, the plaza was only situated on one lane, which caused delays and large traffic build-ups.

However, as part of easing traffic and enhancing revenue collection, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, through the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara), has expanded the plaza to fit the dual lanes.

The new plaza has the capacity for four lanes for Harare-bound traffic, also featuring an express lane dedicated to abnormal loads, which include trucks and buses.

“We have the lane, as you are aware that this is a regional road,” says Engineer Simbarashe Gomo, a Zinara board member. “In terms of the works, there were civil works and extension of the road.

“Then we have the structure and canopy above our toll plaza, and on top of it, that is where we have our solar system which powers our tollgate.”

“Our tollgate is off-grid, which means that it is powered by solar and a standby generator. After that, we did the stormwater drainage and other ancillary work that supports our toll plaza.”

The toll gate also has security infrastructure, featuring crash barriers, which, in the event of an accident or if a vehicle fails to stop, can be stopped by those barriers.

Transport Minister Mhona says that from now on, the ministry will be building more plazas and rehabilitating more roads.

“From here, we are going to build more plazas. We are going to have weighbridges on major roads. Zinara has already begun to flight tenders. Through Zinara, we are going to be rehabilitating roads,” he says.

“We have introduced ambulances, which are going to be stationed at all accident points and will be free of charge. These shall be manned by doctors as well. We are now building toll plazas.”

He says some of the roads that are going to be rehabilitated include the Harare–Chirundu road and the Skyline–Mubaira road.

“We are going to rehabilitate the Sandringham–Mhondoro road. We are carrying on with the dualisation on Bulawayo Road. Chegutu and Chinhoyi, we are also going to fix those as well,” he says.

“We have several other roads that we have not mentioned. But these are going to be rehabilitated as well.”

Minister of State for Mashonaland West, Marian Chombo, said that the new plaza is going to help foster development in the province.

“This is one of the high-impact projects happening in the province. This is going to ease traffic flow and will reduce waiting times at the toll. This is also going to reduce accidents, adding to the ambulances that are going to be stationed at every accident point.”

As the rain eases and traffic flows freely, motorists drive on, some still smiling at the unexpected gesture.

For many, the new plaza marks a smoother, safer journey on one of the country’s busiest roads.