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A memorandum of association was signed between Harare city council and Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) that will result in the replacement and upgrading of traffic lights at 68 intersections and control systems in Harare.
Speaking just before putting pen to paper on the memorandum, the chairpaerson running the affairs of Harare Mr. Michael Mahachi said the partnership with ZINARA comes at a time when the city is in the process of revamping and renewing its ageing infrastructure. “This momentous occasion comes at a time when the city is in the process of revamping and renewing its aged infrastructure. One such area which is of concern and of priority to the city is the Traffic Management System which needs urgent rehabilitation,†Mr. Mahachi said. The coming aboard of ZINARA to partner City of Harare is a welcome development as the present Siemens Traffic Control System that was installed in 1987 had since elapsed its lifespan of 15years. Further, the traffic signal heads and respective controllers which are now obsolete and unreliable pause great danger to the public. Spares for the controllers are difficult to source due to old technology. It is against this background that the city has been looking at ways of replacing the old system with a modern and reliable traffic system. Mr. Mahachi added that , “The challenge the city had was of identifying the requisite resources to find the mammoth rehabilitation needs of the city. In this regard, the city approached and has been negotiating with ZINARA with the aim of seeking financial assistance. I’m pleased to announce that the engagement with ZINARA has been extremely fruitful.â€Â The chairman of ZINARA Mr. Mutyambizi said that ZINARA is interested in safety issues and have decided to work with the city of Harare to make sure that Harare’s roads are safe and he went on to say that as ZINARA they will work with other local authorities nationwide so as to improve the conditions of roads in Zimbabwe. Town Clerk Dr. Tendai Mahachi thanked ZINARA and highlighted that the partnership will go a long way in the endeavor to make Harare a world class city by the year 2010. “This partnership will go a long way to assist us as a city as we endeavor to make Harare a world class city by 2010.†Said Dr. Mahachi |
