ROAD Development Agency (RDA) has set aside K 4 million for a National Road tolling Plan whose proceeds will be channeled to the rehabilitation of roads in the country.
RDA Director and Chief Executive Officer Charles Mushota said the introduction of road user pay principle was an innovative and self-financing mechanism for sustainable road rehabilitation and maintenance.
Mr Mushota said RDA had come up with another initiative of raising funds different from the traditional ways for road programmes in that it had proved to be a success in other countries like the United States in improving road networks.
He said the programme would be a success only if the public engaged themselves by adhering to new rules on the road which would apply to both government and non government motorists and would be effective in November this year.
“I appeal to the public for support in that it is a well intended programme which will enhance their safety,” said Mr Mushota.
He assured the public of less congestion as the proceeds would help in the construction of new lanes to widen roads.
Mr Mushota said the programme was being carried out by government as it was not intended for profit making and government wanted to control the charges.
Mr Mushota said the programme was not something new as the Minister of Transport, Works Supply and Communications Yamfwa Mukanga had already given a public address to roll out the programme but sensitization programmes were also put in place to get the public informed and engaged in the plan as they were the most affected.
He said there were six phases involved in the plan but RDA would only start with phase one which involved tolling at the weighbridges as it already had infrastructure to assist in the project.
Mr Mushota said the rest of the phases would continue as RDA did not enough funds to assist in the project but would continue the process when necessary infrastructure had been acquired.
This is good. Go ahead please. All those roads we are building under Link Zambia 800, Lusaka (L400), Pave zambia 2000, and many more need to have better maintenance plan than we have.
I only urge you to do a good job both at the installations as well as the funds themselves realised from them.
It’s a shame that all this development as at the expense of the country ! It’s in the international news that Zambian government has gone begging again for money from international Banks, after 30 years ! The Country has been taken to the KK days with a begging bowl in hand ! Food for thought for blind,deaf and dumb praise singers !!!
@Mumbi Mukasa, if your take is about my comment then you are lost. My friend, I do not know if those toll gates will be funded using the money you are talking about. What the article has told us is that RDA has put money aside for that purpose, borrowed or not I do not know.
Whatever the case, ask them politicians and finance ministry staff how they are playing the whole game. They probably have a better understanding than rants like some…
Good initiative but we demand for accountability from you.
What about fuel levy,is not for the same purpose? More taxes?
I’m 100% in support of PF’s economic and development policies. All of PF’s policies make so much sense and we would have developed even more if these policies had been in place for a longer time. The ONLY thing is that PF must stop this on-going internal fighting which has now weakened the party in the eyes of many non-partisan voters. Already I think PF is now a weak party because of all this internal struggles and apparent tribalism….they are spoiling the good sense in their policies. If they chill, they can still win in 2016, if they continue with the internal fights they will be toast in 2016. Even today if H.E.Michael Sata was to call general elections like he said last time, PF would lose big time!
I thought we pay that in the fuel. Good idea but make sure u remove the percentage that we pay thru fuel otherwise its double tax
This is a good move because 90% of heavy vehicles using our roads are foreigners. They have to contribute something. The only worry is accountability
This has been long overdue,if i was an Mp for,for instance,Kabwe Central,i would have introduced this idea a long time ago.Kabwe connects two regions,it would make sense to have such levies introduced.Management of these funds is my concern though,bearing in mind, the extent of corruption in our country.
And if some one has a funeral in Lusaka and wishes to travel from Kabwe to Lusaka to attend the funeral but does not have money to pay the toll fee, are you going to stop him/her from traveling on the road? That is why in all countries where there is road tolling, toll fees are only levied on roads where there is an alternative route for those who do not wish to pay the toll. Be very careful, you may infringe on people’s constitutional right of movement.
Bakalamba with all due respect,i don’t know what state you are based in,but i live in Arkansas and right next door,Oklahoma has this policy working very well for them.I have never seen an alternative rout into and out of Oklahoma.Its not like you should charge a killer fee and if one can afford to get gas from kabwe to lusaka i don think they cant afford a 2 or 3 kwacha.
This is just another rip off scheme; just like airport fees. RTSA and tolling will have to go with PF nuisance government.
We need a pragmatic government , with a Roads department directly involved in building roads , and PWD helping with maintenance.
Otherwise we shall start a national fund for suing RTSA for any road defect , and bad planning.
Nkole are right, foolish people in government want to copy everything from America. But they ignore minor issues that might come to bite them just like salary increment . They need to consult people so all issues are ironed out to avoid protest. Not forgetting the amount of corruption this will lead, worst of all is the government will just squander all the money. They definitely have no discipline like the USA to carry through
Ba China naimwe,just look at your user name,its all copied.If something is good,why not copy? even the democracy that our country is enjoying today was copied from America and am proud to inform you that it has worked,even though at first people like you doubted it would work.This shooting out of hate for PF will not develop our country,let them try,if it works,well and good,if it doesn’t,they would at least have tried.
Toll gates in most southern Africa countries have failed to yield positive revenues commensurate to the investments made to ensure that the project succeed chiefly because of the operational and management setup of the tall gates and the mechanics to ensure collection and revenues are not evaded.
A case study are the Toll gates in the city of Johasburg especially the ones from oliver tambo international airport to sand ton all the way to cape town.
Management of roads in revenues and maintenance can easily and maybe carefully done by consessioning and allowing commercially established companies to run and maintain particular roads,financing and collecting revenues to operationalize the same.
Toll fees are good but pave roads first , I cant pay for destroying my car because of your bad roads.Also make toll gates in future it’s idea only for good roads.
i donot how the plans are but I know of company and a colleague that was contracted to run some toll gates.
You see you need to have a control centre with fully installed CCTVs on roads and then the toll gates themselves.Electricity must be very reliable and the roads non porous in other words stretchy enough for good pricing but above all the pricing and determination of who pays for where and how.The investments in our scenario is quiet a challenge most developed coutries installed toll gates have national road control system fully monitoring the traffic and destination of those paying tolls like in the current ring road project.
for now the ratsa type and bar codes can help RDA