GOVERNMENT has collected K2.2 billion from toll stations from the time the national road tolling programme started in 2013. Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development Ronald Chitotela said the fees have been collected from inland tolls, ports of entry and weighbridge stations countrywide.

Mr Chitotela said following the launch of the programme in 2012, Government collected K44,431 from November to December. Government raised K296,834 in 2014, and collected K428,165 the following year. “The implementation of the national road tolling programme has progressed very well since 2013 when phase one of the project started,” Mr Chitotela said when he featured on Radio Phoenix yesterday.

This is contained in a statement issued by Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure Development public relations officer Jeff Banda. Mr Chitotela said in 2016, K464,777 was collected, while K667, 952.02 was raised in 2017. By June this year, K387, 830.24 has been collected, bringing the total to K2,289,989.26.

Mr Chitotela said the money has been channelled towards road construction, maintenance and rehabilitation. The minister said of the money collected, K504.2 million has gone to periodic and routine road maintenance, while K730.9 million has been channelled towards road rehabilitation and upgrading.

Mr Chitotela said tolls have also been collected from nine ports of entry and four gazetted weighbridges countrywide. “Government is constructing additional inland toll stations that are at different levels of completion across the country. Members of the public will be informed as soon as construction works have been completed in readiness for road tolling,” he said.

He said Government’s target this year is to collect K845 million and this will be achieved by expanding the road tolling footprint. And Mr Chitotela said Government will ensure that the Kafue-Mazabuka road is rehabilitated.

In 2016,Government officially requested the African Development Bank (AfDB) to finance the rehabilitation of the 72 kilometres Kafue-Mazabuka Road.
AfDB has approved approximately US$35 million towards the cost of construction and supervision services.