FG to re-introduce tollgates as Minister unveils 'change' agenda

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, on Tuesday, Dec. 8, said that the Federal Government would re-introduce toll gates on the high ways to finance road infrastructure and ensure efficient road maintenance.

He disclosed this in Abuja during his first news conference since he was inaugurated as Minister. He tagged the briefing “Setting the Agenda for Delivering Change”.

He said: “Maintenance would be our watchword. We are setting up a robust maintenance regime to keep our highways in good shape.

“This shows that tolling is necessary to support government funding. So, it will not be too much if we ask every road user to pay little to augment government funding for road maintenance.

“It is eminent commonsense for us to find that money. We will use technology; so if we don’t pay cash, you will pay by tokens or tickets and the money is accountable and it will go to the right place.

“We will manage that fund properly and we will hold those who we put there to account.”

According to findings, he said that at least 5,150 workers have been laid off as at March 11, 2015 by four construction companies due to the huge debts owed them by the various tiers of government.

“Clearly, good roads will help reposition and grow our economy, reduce travel time, cost of transportation of goods and services, and restore jobs that have been lost to transport-dependent services.

“If each contractor has only 100 employees at each of the 200 contract sites, it means at least that 20,000 people who lost their jobs can return to work, if the right budget is put in place and funded for contractors to get paid.

“The possibility to return those who have just lost their jobs back to work is the kind of change that we expect to see by this short-term strategy”, the former Lagos State governor said.

READ:Fashola reveals plans for improved power supply, others

Fashola also stated that the ministry will soon start enforcing the right of way by dismantling all illegal structures infringing on the highways.

“In order to make the roads safer, we intend to re-claim the full width of all Federal roads, representing 16 per cent and about 36,000km of Nigeria’s road network.

“We are immediately now asking all those who are infringing on our highways, whether by parking, trading, or erection of any inappropriate structure to immediately remove, relocate or dismantle such things voluntarily.

“This will be the biggest contribution that citizens can offer our country as proof that we all want things to change for the better,” he added.

Fashola was inaugurated on November 11 along with 35 other candidates.