The Government of Zimbabwe has been battling with corruption in the transport industry, mainly in the licensing departments, which has seen a stagnation in the development of that sector.
It is against this background that the government is making plans to establish an all-purpose transport management centre in Zimbabwe. The centre will house institutions involved in licensing, road use and management as a means to cut red tape as well as corruption.
The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development has acquired 3.3 hectares of land along the Harare-Bulawayo highway, near the Kuwadzana roundabout where the new headquarters will be constructed. The Ministry has spent a total $630,000 on acquiring the land and initial development works.
The centre is expected to house the 3 main departments , the Central Vehicle Registration (CVR), Vehicle Inspection Department (VID) and the Road Motor Transport (RMT) department which is responsible for issuing licenses for public transport providers.
Mr. Munesu Munodawafa, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport indicated that the distance between the two centres (VID and CVR) at times creates loopholes and causes people to cut corners. He added that once the plan is approved, they will start building a transport management centre and will move the congestion and chaos that is in Eastle, Belvedere and CVR.
The VID , which is primarily responsible for issuance of certificate of fitness for vehicles especially public transporters, as well as licensing and testing of drivers, is accused of being one of the most corrupt Government departments.
The Ministry however is currently appealing to Government to increase its retainer fee for revenues mobilised from VID services from the current 5 percent to 15 percent to enable the department to fund its expansion activities. They Ministry has identified 10 VID sites but are failing to move on them due to lack of funding.
The Road Motor Transport department is also decentralising its office which only used to be in Harare, which disadvantaged much of the public.
