The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has paid a visit to the Toll Plaza at Garaku, Nasarawa State, following the commencement of e-collection of tolls on the completed Keffi–Akwanga alignment of the Abuja–Keffi–Akwanga–Lafia–Makurdi dualisation project.
As a result of the outcry from commuters plying the route, Umahi expressed displeasure with how the tolls are being collected, stating that it is subjecting motorists to undue hardship.
As a remedial measure, he directed the concessionaire, Messrs China Harbour Operations and Maintenance Company (CHOMC) to immediately increase the number of collection points, deploy more Point-of-Sale (POS) devices, and as well as relief stations for public pleasure and convenience.
The minister, while assuring road users of smoother passage at the toll plaza, promised to revisit the site on Monday to assess compliance with his directives, according to a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Mohammed Ahmed.
“The tollgate is not meant to have this kind of bottleneck. The current operation is inadequate, and we are giving the Concessionaire until Monday to make the necessary improvements. If by then this bottleneck is not resolved, I will release the traffic and replace them,” Umahi warned.
