The Bulawayo to Victoria Falls road, the country’s premier tourist destination, is in sorry state and needs urgent attention before it k!lls domestic tourism as motorists no longer want to risk
their vehicles.
Even passengers on board public buses are no longer comfortable using the road which they said is a d3ath trap and only use because there is no alternative. The condition of the road has been worsened by the rains which have fallen in Matebeleland North bringing relief to communities but disaster to motorists.
The Bulawayo to Victoria Falls route is a crucial transport link in Zimbabwe, connecting the city of Bulawayo to the world-famous Victoria Falls. However due neglect and a high volume of haulage truck movement, the road has deteriorated to an extend that patch works are no longer needed but a complete overhaul on some parts of the network.
Owing to the bad state, word got around such that not many people travelled to the resort town this past festive season threatening the viability of tourism.
Clement Mukwasi, a Tourism Executive based in Victoria Falls said the domestic tourism could have been better had the Victoria Falls-Bulawayo highway been intact.
“We could have done much better if the Bulawayo –Victoria Road had been repaired. At the moment it’s in a state of disrepair and this has adversely affected the inflow of people coming from Harare, Bulawayo via land,” he said.
He revealed the tourists they received were mainly those who flew into Victoria Falls which is expensive for families, as most tourists avoided travelling by the road.
“During the festive season, self-drives were seriously limited because of the state of the road. We hope that the government will prioritise fixing the Bulawayo –Victoria Falls highway and ensure that as we go into the April holidays, more domestic tourist may also come. Had the road been repaired (before Christmas period) we could have gone beyond the 2019 figures in terms of bookings,” lamented Mukwasi.
Domestic tourism has been anchoring of tourism since the inception of COVID -19 pandemic.In Hwange the road has been damaged by heavy duty trucks who use the highway. Although Bitumen World resurfaced the road near Cinderella and the railway line where a detour was opened, the situation has not improved.
The Hwange Central Constituency Member of Parliament Daniel Molokele has also lamented the state of the Bulawayo –Victoria Falls Highway saying it is not pleasing. He said the National Railways of Zimbabwe should be back on track as a major transport provider to avoid further damaging the highway.
“The road is just a d3@th trap as there are some parts where one cannot even drive at night. There are too many big potholes and the toll gate is totally unjustified.
“The number of haulage trucks on the Bulawayo –Victoria Falls road can be reduced once the train starts to move and transporting other goods like coal. We also need to ensure that a complete new road is set up that has at least two lanes so that it captures the growth of vehicles, ” said Molokele Travelers alike are also concerned with the current state of the road and have urged authorities to take action to repair and upgrade it.
“These potholes and uneven surfaces pose significant risks to motorists leading to accidents, delays and inconvenience. Guys are we in the bus or in the scotch cart,” asked one passenger in a bus that plys the route daily.
“These are no longer potholes but dams where one can even swim,” said another one giggling as they traveled from Dete to Bulawayo.
The common talk during the journey was of how the bad state of the road was k!lling the tourism industry.
“This negatively impacts the tourism industry and undermines potential economic benefits as this route serves as a gateway to one of Zimbabwe’s most iconic and popular tourist destination,” said another passenger.
“The road is becoming more dangerous by the day; the already existing potholes have expanded due to the heavy trucks and the rainfall,” said Bernard Dube, a haulage truck driver.
A survey by this publication revealed that cars and trucks breakdown along the highway due to the numerous potholes especially near Insuza and some parts near Cross Jotsholo .
“We are in a very uncomfortable situation because along the highway we have wild animals which cross the road, and in some incidences when we have a break down, one cannot even go outside because of the wild animals especially at Mabale area,” noted Melusi Moyo, a motorist.
Through the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme, the government has been rehabilitating the country’s road network to meet world-class standards in line with Vision 2030.
Under the Infrastructure, Utilities and Digital Economy cluster, Zimbabwe’s economic blueprint, the National Development Strategy (NDS 1) prioritises the completion of road rehabilitation projects.
Source NewZiana
