Transporters, NLC chapters, TUC reject highway tolling
Transporters and labour unions on Wednesday condemned the reintroduction of highway tolls, stating that it would further worsen the hardship in the country.
The National Association of Road Transport Owners, the National Union of Road Transport Workers, and the state chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress asserted that the policy would result in a hike in transportation and food costs.
The reintroduction of tolling on the highways kicked off on the Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi Expressway on Tuesday.
The 227.2-kilometer road is among the nine expressways scheduled for tolling by the Federal Government.
It was rehabilitated through a Preferential Credit Loan from the China Exim Bank.
Other roads listed for tolling include the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Second Niger Bridge, Abuja-Kano Road and Makurdi-9th Mile Road.
The nine roads listed for concessions are under Phase I of the Highways Development and Management Initiative.
Works Minister David Umahi, who flagged off the tolling, said the toll order for the roads had been gazetted.
According to him, saloon cars will pay N500; sports utility vehicles/jeeps, N800; minibuses N1,000 and multi-axle (articulated) vehicles, N1,600.
Commercial light vehicles, as defined under the Federal Highway Act, will enjoy a 50 per cent discount.
Authorised bicycles, pedal cycles, tricycles, motorcycles and other modes of two or three-wheeled transport used by mainly disadvantaged populations will be offered a 100 per cent discount.
The loan agreement provides that upon completion, the road would be tolled, operated and maintained by a privately run entity (concessionaire).
“The revenue collected from the operation (deducting the operation cost) shall be preferentially used for the loan repayment to the China EXIM Bank,” the contractual agreement states.
The minister said, “In the coming months, the Federal Government will continue with the launching and operationalisation of the remaining ones located across the six geo-political zones of the country.
“This initiative has opened a new chapter in the history of Nigeria as it gives the Federal Government the opportunity to overcome bad roads.
Tolling operations is a pivotal step towards the realisation of our vision for a more efficient, sustainable and well-maintained road transport system for our beloved country.
“Today, we embark on a journey to ensure that our infrastructure is preserved for the benefit of present and future generations. The collection of tolls will generate much-needed revenue for the maintenance and expansion of our roads.’’
extortive policies that would further drain the little resources of the poor.
The Secretary of RTEAN, Ogun State chapter, Tiwalade Akingbade welcomed highway tolling provided the charges are reasonable.
Akingbade said that the transporters would be willing to support the initiative in as much as it would help to raise funds for the maintenance of the roads which would in turn reduce the cost of vehicle maintenance.
Akingbade, who is also the National Assistant Secretary of the union, said, “We welcome the decision of the Federal Government to toll our highways provided the charges will be very minimal and not burdensome.
“The amount of money we spend on vehicle maintenance due to bad roads is enormous but with initiatives like this, we want to believe that the funds realised from tolling will be used to maintain these roads.
“We also demand that there should be judicious utilization of these funds because even in developed nations, they toll their roads but the money realised is spent to maintain these roads. We want the same thing to be done here with the tolling of our roads.”
