Suburban
Suburban Reporter
A DELEGATION from the City of Munich is in Harare to share ideas on how the city could promote urban mobility through walking and cycling in the capital.
The City of Munich delegation on Monday met City of Harare officials at Town House including Mayor Jacob Mafume. Harare has a twinning arrangement with the City of Munich since 1996 and currently the partnership is focusing on urban mobility.
The City of Munich team was led by Director of European and International Affairs, Sandra Karin Spottl.
In September Harare residents commended the partnership between the City of Harare and First Mutual Holdings Limited under which the two organisations are constructing a cycle track from the intersection of Whitwell Road and Liberation Legacy Way (formerly Borrowdale Road) into town.
However, residents urged the local authority to spread the programme to other suburbs in the capital city.
Some residents said they prefer cycling but there were no cycling tracks from their suburbs going into town. The residents said the track being built from Borrowdale to the city centre might help ease congestion as those interested in cycling could now do so.
Suggestions were made to the City of Harare to find other partners to revive cycling tracks in different suburbs connecting to the central business district.
Residents said the initiative should not start and end in Borrowdale.
The residents said there was need to construct some barriers to keep unscrupulous drivers off the cycling tracks.
The Borrowdale cycle track, residents observed, will help reduce accidents as cyclists and pedestrians were being killed along Liberation Legacy Way.
It was also pointed out by residents that students walking to school on Liberation Legacy Way were not safe and hailed the partnership between the municipality and First Mutual for the track which will provide a safe access to Borrowdale Primary School.
