Drivers using the Keffi-Lafia-Akwanga-Makurdi highway have expressed frustration over delays at the newly introduced toll gates due to the lack of cash payment options.
Last week, Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, inaugurated toll collection on the road, with fees ranging from N500 to N1,600 depending on vehicle size at each of the four toll plazas. However, users complain that the exclusive reliance on Point-of-Sale (PoS) terminals is causing significant hold-ups due to an insufficient number of devices and frequent transaction failures.
Godwin Selumum Mnyamchie, a motorist, told Daily Trust that he was delayed for over 30 minutes due to failed transactions.
He urged the government to consider a card-based system for smoother processing.
“Why should someone spend more than half an hour at just one toll gate because of network failures? And there are four of them! The government needs to do better,” he lamented.
Another driver, Abdullahi Adokwe, recounted spending nearly an hour in a queue at the toll gate. He attributed the delay to PoS network issues and called for urgent measures to address the problem and prevent gridlock.
Similarly, Samuel Akala faulted the payment system, stressing that while he supports tolling as a means of road maintenance, the current method is unsustainable.
“We were thrilled when this road was fixed, as it drastically cut travel time from Lafia to Abuja. Before the repairs, it was full of potholes, requiring constant visits to mechanics. But in this era, those managing the toll system should be knowledgeable enough to implement a more efficient process,” he said.
He added that motorists’ willingness to pay the toll demonstrates their support, but the flawed payment system could provoke a backlash.
In response to public outcry, Minister Umahi expressed dissatisfaction with the tolling process, saying it was subjecting road users to unnecessary hardship.
A statement by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Mohammed A. Ahmed, said Umahi directed the concessionaire, Messrs China Harbour Operations and Maintenance Company (CHOMC), to immediately increase the number of collection points, deploy more PoS devices, and provide adequate rest areas for motorists
Umahi assured commuters that passage through the toll plazas would soon improve and announced a follow-up visit on Monday, February 10, 2025, to ensure compliance.
‘Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road to be tolled after completion’
Meanwhile, the minister said tolling will be introduced on the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway once construction is fully completed.
Speaking during an inspection of the project over the weekend, Umahi clarified that toll collection would not begin immediately but only when the road is in optimal condition.
He emphasised that major roads across the country, particularly those in key economic corridors, will eventually be tolled to ensure proper maintenance.
He assured Nigerians that work on the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway would be completed within 14 months, starting from February 1.
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