The reintroduction of tolling on some selected expressways kicked off yesterday on the Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi Highway.
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 kick-off came on a day the Federal Government gave the contractors handling the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway an April deadline.
It threatened to terminate the contracts if they failed to meet the ultimatum.
Works Minister David Umahi, who flagged off the tolling, said the toll order for the roads has 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.
Frequent road users like 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 nine roads listed for concessions are under Phase I of the Highways Development and Management Initiative (HDMI).
