Unic Press UK: The Nigerian government is on the verge of returning tolls on federal roads having concluded the building design and most of the associated components, says the Minister of Works/Housing, Babatunde Fashola.
Briefing the State House media correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting Wednesday, the Minister said:
“… there is no reason why we cannot toll; there is no reason. There was a policy of government to abolish tolls; to dismantle toll plazas but there is no law that prohibits tolls in Nigeria today. We expect to return toll plazas; we have concluded their designs; of what they will look like; what material they will be built with; what new considerations must go into them. What we are looking at now and trying to conclude is how the back-end runs and that is important because we want to limit significantly if not totally eliminate cash at the plazas while ensuring that electronic devices that are being used do not impede rapid movement,” the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
In a swift reaction to government moves to bring back toll gates on some federal roads, the main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) of insensitivity at a time of excruciating economic hardship and high costs of living in the country.
PDP Rejects Moves By Buhari To Return Toll Gates
The @OfficialPDPNig vehemently rejects plans by President @MBuhari to return toll gates on highways in the country. pic.twitter.com/sqYVatK2RS
— Official PDP Nigeria (@OfficialPDPNig) October 2, 2019
