The George Kunda Toll Plaza on the Great North Road in Mkushi District of Central Province is set for commissioning.
Central Province Road Development Agency (RDA) Regional Manager, Main Chama disclosed this when Special Assistant to the President for Project Implementation and Monitoring, Andrew Chellah, toured the site yesterday.
Mr Chama said construction works are complete and what remains is the installation of the software.
He said the installation of the software will take about two weeks and will be followed by the test runs that will culminate into the commissioning of the project early next month.
And Mr Chellah said revenue collected from the toll fees is ploughed back to the road sector for maintenance of roads.
Mr Chellah said government has put up so many pieces of infrastructure across the country but noted that these require maintenance and that funds must be generated for that purpose.
He said the George Kunda Toll Plaza is very strategic because it is the gate-way to one of the biggest borders and will help government to harness resources for infrastructural maintenance works.
Meanwhile, Mr Chellah said government is considering re-engaging the contractor who was working on the Kapiri Mposhi Township roads.
He said it is regrettable that the contract for the rehabilitation of the township roads in the cosmopolitan town collapsed because of passage of time.
He, however, said the quality of work on roads that have been improved to bituminous standard is unquestionable and re-engaging the contractor is the best option because he is already familiar with the project.
Photo of the Plaza?
Let us name our Aircraft Carries after our leaders like it is done the US USS Gerald Fold or USS Abraham Lincoln not ma toll gate
Why are most items named after politicians? Btw when are we renaming Edgar Changes Lungu Mall? Why didn’t Lungu name his gas station ECL but Ngucha? Was it to confuse the Zambian public?
Just another cost to travelling public. It makes the fourth tollgate between Lusaka and Mpika. First Katuba, Manyumbi, GK and the one in Mpika. Shouldn’t there have being alternative routes without tolling?
One of the greatest legal minds we ever had. I had the opportunity of interacting with this very wise man. Continue resting in peace. I will feel very proud to pay the toll fee at this gate.
When you start naming toll plazas after your ‘heroes’ you have no achievements to write home about. Just try renaming the numerous streams springs and anthills in your constituencies. That might be more wise.
So how much did this one cost now $10,000,000?And who pocketed the other $9,500,000?
I would never allow anyone to name a toll gate after any member of my family.
A toll gate is a symbol of government’s exploitation because it qualifies to be called double tax. To name it after someone associates that someone with exploitation
There are more Toll Gates than actually necessary or needed in Zambia – especially that it is another forced cost to the motorist. These gates are now merely fund raising ventures for a government that has run out of ideas in the harnessing of resources. Earlier this year, it was stated that;
“The National Road Fund Agency (NRFA) plans to build six more toll gates in various places to reach 40 by December, in a bid to collect K1.6 billion this year.”
Zambia has far fewer roads and motorways than say, the UK. But the UK only has 23 Toll Gates. You cannot endeavour to raise money by simply taking advantage of a certain section of the population (motorists) by squeezing and squeezing their earnings through numerous charges.
Yeah we pay tax for government to maintain roads. But now they charge us for using the road. Very soon we will be charged for receiving our salaries. And they will charge us for not earning a salary.
We have no major objections to the introduction of toll gates. The cry of motorists is the fees. If the fees are reasonable no one will cry foul. Please revise the current toll fees!!!!!!!
Concerned citizen, fees always start small, then gradually increase depending on how corrupt a government is. And we all know how corrupt PF is.
So if you are complaining now, wait till fees start rising. They will blame HH as usual