From November, the city and province of Maputo will have a remote road traffic control system, with funding of around 442.4 million meticals (7 million dollars) from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
The project, led by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, aims to improve road safety and could be extended to other provinces in the country, according to the newspaper Noticias.
According to the chairman of the board of the National Road Transport Institute (INATRO), Nelson Nunes, the first phase of the project, which included the construction of road safety infrastructure such as pedestrian bridges, roundabouts, pedestrian crossings, traffic lights and central barriers to prevent pedestrians from crossing irregularly, is in the final stages of implementation.
Nelson Nunes also explained that the second phase, scheduled for completion in November, will involve the start-up of the traffic monitoring and inspection system, with the installation of cameras at strategic locations in the city and province of Maputo.
The expansion of the project to other regions will be assessed on the basis of the number of road accidents recorded and transgressions observed.
The project also includes improvements in areas considered critical, including the construction of a roundabout at the intersection for the Boquisso neighbourhood, the installation of a pedestrian bridge in Kumbeza and the placement of traffic signs on Avenida da Marginal and next to the 7 and 25 de Setembro primary schools.
The extension of the remote control system will depend on the consolidation of the pilot phase and the training of professionals to operate the control centre, with a view to supporting safety and service on national roads.
The president of INATRO said that the project could help reduce accidents, particularly on Maputo’s ring road.
According to the information, in order to discuss the next steps and evaluate solutions to improve the current traffic situation, a meeting between the transport sector and the road managers is planned for the next few days.
