New Maputo Corridor launches first one-stop border permit

WITH THE official launch at the weekend of the Maputo Corridor and Africa's first international toll road at Ressano Garcia, an historic bilateral agreement on road transport moved into operation. It creates the first one-stop permit traffic of passengers and goods over the border.
The agreement further aims at creating economic stability throughout the region through investment and the development of small, medium and micro corridors between South Africa and its neighbours.
Construction of the Maputo Corridor road started in March this year and will last three and a half years. It involves the upgrading of sections of the existing N4 road and construction of a new stretch of road in Mozambique. Improvements during the initial construction phase such as interchanges, additional passing lanes, road surface rehabilitation and widening of sections will see increased safety at many points.
A system to detect overloaded vehicles is to be implemented and these vehicles, as well as unroadworthy vehicles, will be taken off the road.
Five toll plazas (three in SA and two in Mozambique) will overcome financial constraints, with the first toll plaza due to open near Middelburg in early 1999 and the last, Matola (outside Maputo), towards the end of 2000. The remaining toll plazas will be situated near Machadadorp, Malelane and on the Mozambican side, Moamba.
BY MICHELE JARMAN