The Road Development Agency (RDA) has collected over K63 million as toll gate fees since the introduction of road tolling in the country three months ago.
RDA Chief Executive Officer, Bernard Chiwala, said about K21 million was collected on a monthly basis from weigh bridges dotted across the country from the period November 1, 2013 to January 31, 2014.
Mr Chiwala expressed optimism that more money will be raised once toll plazas are fully operational to capture smaller vehicles so that more money can be channelled to maintenance of roads throughout the country.
Mr Chiwala was speaking when he toured the Kapiri Mposhi Weighbridge which is being rehabilitated into an ultra–modern weighbridge at the cost of K31 million by a Chinese construction company, Sinohydro Zambia Limited.
The weighbridge will be the first of its kind in Zambia and has an expanded capacity through a multi deck platform and improved tailor made data capture system to handle the increased volume of buses and trucks.
Director of Commercial and Technical Services, Stephen Mwale, said an additional weighing platform and control building has been constructed and once operational, the weighbridge will be able to speedily and efficiently handle 1,000 vehicles per day from the current 500.
Mr Mwale assured that the development will put to an end the perennial congestion that previously characterised the weighbridge and reduce on damage to roads due to overloading.
He disclosed that the agency has bought road patrol vehicles and will intensify road patrols to ensure that axle load violations on Zambian roads are curbed.
“There is a maximum and allowable weight it takes. These vehicles have standard weights and beyond certain level, you damage the road. Roads not regulated of axle load can only last up to 3 years instead of the 15 years,” he said.
Mr Mwale added that the Kapiri Mposhi junction has been re-engineered with increased road lanes and traffic lights in order to allow free flow of traffic around the weighbridge.
Mr Chiwala said the refurbished Kapiri Mposhi weighbridge will be commissioned by April 1, 2014.
All this is happening under PF and ba mumbwe are busy saying nothing is happening. Loleleni. The noise being made is a sign of panicking for they know come2016 pprojects will be speaking for themselves.
Good Milile!
What do you mean all this. But again I reckon you don’t pay tax and don’t drive.
To you introduction of toll fees doesn’t mean anything.
Collecting money in itself is not an achievement but how that money is put to use. Remember RDAES with Willie give themselves this money
Money for Chikwanda to misappropriate!!
Chabwera there is no accountability, and there is no garantee that the money
Won’t be misappropriated, I’m getting tired of the Chinese taking all the contracts
They are the ones benefitting from all those project, because that’s more money in
Their pockets while leaving us with sub par work just like their cheap products.
21 milion per month.how many empoyees who are sevicing the system what about operation cost then tell us how much is going for roads don’t just mention figures without knowing exactly the earnings.
i like you analytical comment, thats exactly what most pipo would be interested in
Six years ago, I brought up this subject and renumerated how the funds would be used for more infrastructure development. As usual some critics got on it and pulled the idea down without any consideration.
Here we are six years down the road and we are talking roughly $4 million a month mostly from foreign operators going into Congo and from as far as South Africa and Tanzania.
Next we will start looking at locals, buses, etc and the revenues will continue. Pretty soon, my Zambia will be a paradise it was initially intended to be before the MMD took us back 40 years in their 20 year rule.
The smart people of the Zambian Enterprise are getting back in the groove … I like what I see.
I do remember lol your article boss
@BR Mumba Snr,I like your comments but disagree with you on the last one where you talked of Zambia becoming a paradise.Yes Zambia can and might become a paradise not under this clueless govt of the PF that does not what it to be in govt apart from infighting and unfulfilled promises.The govt raises a lot of money through local taxes but we do not see where that money goes apart from spending on unnecessary and self induced by elections. A good example is money raised by the police through traffic offences in the country and this money if was given back to the various police stations/ district headquarters to improve on their structures-building,stationery and even transport for the officers Zambia would have being a paradise but this money is wasted by the ruling party and its ministers.
so now its the issue of misappropration.. not that the initiative is good? ninshi imwe bambi mwapangwa shani? you dont just want to see anything good kamo ngamwalyako thats when you appreciate? This behavoir is the same reason not to just be friends anyhow with any Zambian you meet in the diaspora. pantu they will mess you up the moment they see you succeding… but I beieve the next generation is proving diffrent. peace and prosperity to mother Zambia…
Excellent. this is the way to go. Tanzainian, Botswanan, and RSA trucks are destroying our roads and must pay for maintenance. I do not care if I get caught up and pay a little, as long as three years from now I can drive in any direction in Zambia and still be on a nice, pot-hole free road. aluta continua!
so toll gates have been built pa zed or fingulungulu what a primitve way
There are no toll gates – fingulungulu; they are just using the weighbridges to collect from the truckers and busers who are required by law to pass through the weighbridges!
Though collected this amount it will not do anything. Example is solwezi were they collect 16000 kwacha weekly and yet the road is impassable.