The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, yesterday, disclosed that Federal Government had concluded plans to reintroduce toll gates in 38 points across the federation after completion of the highways. Fashola, who ap-peared before the Senate Committee on Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), told the senators that the toll gates would be managed by private sector as government would design software to monitor vehicles passing through the roads and road users would be able to pay toll on their phones.
The Minister pointed out that the revenue generated from the toll gates would be used for maintenance of the highways. He said: “We have concluded plans to reintroduce toll gates across the country and we have finalised the design.
It will be managed by private sector and it will be located in the old places, 38 points across the country; we are only waiting for the completion of those roads before we introduce the toll gates.”
The Minister also appealed to the Committee to revise the procurement law in order to hasten the process of contract approval by the government. Speaking on the budget releases to FERMA, Fashola stated that out of N25 billion budget for the agency in the 2017 budget, only N800 million was released, so far by the Federal Ministry of Finance to the agency.
In his opening remarks, the chairman of the committee, Senator Magnus Abe, expressed dissatisfaction with increase in traffic during festive periods across the country and urged the Minister to quickly address the situation even as Christmas is just around the corner.
