The Federal Government has announced plans to implement a cashless tolling system for the Abuja-Keffi expressway.
Senator David Umahi, the Minister of Works, made this disclosure on Thursday while inaugurating a committee for the project, which also includes the dualization of the Keffi-Akwanga-Makurdi Road.
Umahi described the cashless tolling system as a strategic initiative under the Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI), aimed at fostering a strong and sustainable transportation ecosystem.
He stated, “This is one of the cardinal strategies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu towards realising the desires of our people in the road sector development.”
He recalled that a section of the Keffi-Akwanga-Makurdi road was completed under an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) agreement funded 85% by China Exim Bank, with the Nigerian government providing 15% counterpart funding.
The minister noted that “the job was executed satisfactorily by China Harbour Ltd.”
He explained that part of the agreement includes tolling the road to recoup funds for the federal government to pay back the loan segment of the project.
Umahi commended President Tinubu for the various strategic economic recovery initiatives of the Renewed Hope administration.
He expressed confidence that the committee would leverage the ideals outlined in their Terms of Reference to develop a robust implementation masterplan.
He charged the committee with several tasks, including developing the cashless tolling system implementation framework and making recommendations on the potential for relief stations along the corridors.
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He elaborated on the need for relief stations, stating, “Relief stations are what you see in overseas’ expressways, where you have a lot of stations where you have a supermarket, you have a small clinic, you have also security outfits, and a number of other facilities, including parks, wheel lorries, and vehicles park, and tow vans.”
Umahi emphasized the importance of rapid response times on the highways, stating, “The idea of Mr. President is that we should have a maximum of 10 minutes of response time on our highways.”
He outlined plans for the full development of the route, which will include the installation of CCTV cameras and solar lighting throughout the project area.
“We will be able to put security on our roads,” he added, detailing how security personnel would monitor the routes from the relief stations to ensure that they could respond to incidents within the targeted timeframe.
