Mutare City council gets US$1.7 million for traffic lights

MUTARE:- The city council here has been advanced a loan of US$1.7 million for the erection of traffic lights in the central business district. The money has been advanced to city council by Investment Development Bank of Zimbabwe. City Engineer Donald Nyatoti told a full council meeting that they have identified 24 intersections in Mutare that need traffic lights. Currently Mutare has only seven intersections that are have traffic lights and only two intersections have functional ones. “We have currently identified intersections that have become dangerous and we will be soon putting traffic lights on these intersections,” said Nyatoti. Special interest councillor Hlanganiso Matangaidze was opposing the channelling of the whole amount to the putting up of traffic light and instead wanted part of the money to buy some refuse trucks so as to improve service delivery in the city. “Traffic light do not generate income, we should also channel this money towards the buying of refuse trucks that bring in money through rates that are paid by residents,” said Matangaidze. Matangaidze’s call was shot down by the majority of MDC-T councillors who said the volume of traffic has increased in the city hence the need for traffic lights at most intersections. “We are lucky that residents have not sued us because a lot of traffic lights are not working and this has contributed to a lot of accidents,” said George Jerrison the acting mayor. The erection of traffic lights will reduce the rate accidents at most intersections in Mutare.