For the past two years, traffic along the Harare-Bulawayo Road in Harare has increased, leading to constant jams.

The problem begins from Kuwadzana round about, some 10 kilometres west of Harare’s central business district, right up to the intersection of the Bulawayo Road with Rotten Row in the city centre.

For commuters travelling from Norton, Kuwadzana and Westlea, it has not been easy to drive from home to work or school.

The journey between Harare and Norton, a dormitory city about 30 kilometres west of  Harare, now takes between two and three hours. Without traffic jams, that journey lasts only 45 minutes, or less.

The traffic jams have resulted in higher transport costs for commuters and drivers using their own cars. The big roundabout at Kuwadzana was meant to be a safer alternative to traffic signals. It was meant to improve traffic flow. But this has failed.

Norton residents have been the most affected. Some of them even wake up at 3 am to beat the traffic jam and get to work or school on time. Most industries are located close to Harare’s CBD, which makes commuting a big headache.

For students, punctuality is of outmost importance. A student is supposed to be someone,  who understands the importance of time and knows how to prioritise any work at a pre-designated time without any delays. However, traffic jams have made it impossible for them to stick to their plans.

Many of them have ended up being disappointed. If students arrive late for lessons, they disrupt the flow of lectures or discussions,  distract other students, impede learning and generally erode class morale.

Tafadzwa, a Norton resident, said if it was not for the current economic situation in Zimbabwe, people would have probably relocated a long time ago.

But many of them cannot afford transport and relocation fares. She went on to highlight that if one has never been or stayed in Norton, one would never understand this problem. Traffic problems have not made it easy for the dormitory town’s residents.

National railways of Zimbabwe (NRS has failed to address the problem.

The NRZ has suffered from the general decline of the country 's economy, and has been operating old equipment.

The last time the government made an attempt to make use of this mode of transport to compliment the already existing system, the NRZ’s trains constantly broke down before passengers reached their final destination.

By virtue of it being an important factor in economic development, it seems to be the only solution to alleviate the traffic congestion.

  • Chucha is a graduate from Great Zimbabwe University.