Maravi

RDA plans tollgate system

RDA plans tollgate system
By Henry Sinyangwe
Fri 25 Jan. 2013, 13:20 CAT

THE Road Development Agency (RDA) plans to start building a toll-gate system across Zambia's national road network by the end of the year, says chief executive officer Bernard Chiwala.

And Chiwala says the Agency had a challenge of using all the disbursed funds to the road sector due to lengthy procurement procedures.

He said the Agency expected to raise about 25 per cent (about KR1 billion) of its annual budget from the planned toll gates which would go towards roads maintenance.
"We have appointed the road tolling manager and in the next four
months, they will begin the works to prepare for the installation of
toll gates. We will install them on 17 selected sites which we have
already identified. We are expecting by June, we will have concluded
this plan, with building to begin in the second half of the year,"
he said.

The routes the RDA will initially focus on tolling are those linking Livingstone, the tourist capital and Nakonde bordering
Tanzania.

And Chiwala said governments of Zambia and Botswana earlier this month
appointed engineers in charge of building the planned $260 million
bridge that would link the two countries at Kazangula.
"We are planning to start the construction next year in April. It will
take four years to build the 923-meter (3,028-foot) bridge," he said.
Chiwala said all the required funding had been secured for the project.
And on the Chingola-Solwezi Road, Chiwala said the Agency would soon
move on site to maintain it.

"We will be moving onto site for the Chingola-Solwezi and also the
Kabwe-Kapiri. The tolling will address the aspect of trucks on the roads because we will be charging them more towards the maintenance of the roads," he said.

Addressing contractors yesterday, Chiwala said the Agency also faced
challenges of shoddy works, poor designs and uncaring supervision.

He said the country had enough material to undertake the 8000-kilometre Link Zambia Project.
"Don't entice our people in anyway so that the can give the contracts. We will give the evaluating process to independent evaluators to increase transparency. And some people have said the Link Zambia 8000 Project will not work, why should it not? asked Chiwala.

Labels: RDA, ROADS, TOLL ROADS

posted by MrK @ 4:31 PM