Thursday, March 28, 2024

RDA raises over K100 million from toll fees

Share

toll-road
THE Road Development Agency (RDA) has raised over K100 million from toll fees at various weighbridges since January this year.

And the national tolling programme, which was launched in November 2013, is progressing well.

RDA senior manager public relations Loyce Saili told journalists during an inspection of works on the construction of Manyumbi Toll Plaza yesterday that RDA has collected over K100 million in toll fees since the beginning of the year.

Manyumbi Toll Plaza is located between Kabwe and Kapiri Mposhi.

“We have collected over K100 million as toll fees from various points and Kapiri Mposhi is the busiest. Until our toll plazas are ready, we are using the existing weighbridges,” Ms Saili said.

And Mrs Saili said the RDA identified 26 sites on its 67,000-kilometre stretch of tarred roads across the country where to set up toll plazas.

She, however, said Government has prioritized construction of the first six toll plazas at a total cost of about K200 million.

“We have two contractors, each doing three toll plazas. Nzovu Transport Limited is building Kafulafuta, Manyumbi and Choma at a cost of K83.8 million while another contractor, Shire, is constructing Levy Mwanawasa, Sabina/Ganertone and Kamfinsa at a cost of K74.4 million. And the engineers have targeted to complete these works before the end of this year,” Mrs Saili said.

Meanwhile, RDA has procured 30 booths to be used for collecting toll fees while waiting for works on toll plazas to be completed.

Mrs Saili said RDA is currently collecting toll fees from vehicles above 6.5 tonnes but that all vehicles will be paying toll fees once the programme is fully rolled out.

“The booths are meant to enable us to start collecting toll fees. So far, 10 booths have already arrived in the country,” Mrs Saili said.

She, however, stressed that before RDA fully rolls out collection of toll fees on every vehicle, the public will be sensitised.

“This revenue collection is meant to sustain the roads. And the vehicles will be paying according to their classification. Small cars will be paying around K10 and the abnormal ones around K250,” Mrs Saili said.
RDA will introduce a cashless system to curb corruption.

“We will put a system, which will not require the use of hard cash. This is being worked on and once the toll plazas are done, it will be installed,” she said.

And resident engineer at Manyumbi, Kalambayi Mukendi of Rankin Engineering, said works are on schedule and the toll plaza will have four lanes to cater for light, heavy and abnormal vehicles.

9 COMMENTS

  1. But where are the results of this money when the roads are very bad in this country? Solwezi road is the best example on bad road where 60 % of zambia’ s economy comes from.

  2. Need a system for accounting for such fees away from Central Treasury, otherwise, it will either end in collectors’ pockets or Ministers’ allowances! It is good money, and it is a noble idea, as long as it is implemented properly. Good luck RDA!

  3. THIS SEEMS ATTRACTIVE. YOU GUYS IN LEADERSHIP YOU NEED TO BE VERY HONEST WITH YOUR JOBS SO THAT WE CAN PROPEL ZAMBIA FORWARD. LET’S KILL CORRUPTION. SENSITIZE THE ZAMBIAN PEOPLE THROUGH VARIOUS MEDIA THAT CORRUPTION IS A MONSTER WHICH SHOULD BE KILLED IN OUR COUNTRY.

  4. Those toll fees are too high k10 for a peasant farmer who maybe forced to use the toll road twice per day. The idea of toll roads is a noble idea but its a very lucrative cash machine for looters. How about simply charging toll fees for foreign vehicles and leave the peasant farmer alone to take his kapenta to the market?

  5. This decision is long overdue. you can’t be borrowing all the time for roads and countries that use this financing mechanism have good and sustainable road networks! Now that this money will be made in Zambia, it must also go back to Zambians through developing and utilization of Zambian road contractors and not send money away though foreign road contractors!!

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading