Mozambique: Zambézia cost a new road toll; it cost around 11 million meticais – O País

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Mozambique: Zambézia cost a new road toll; it cost around 11 million meticais – O País

3:34 CAT | 07 Jun 2021

Photo: O País

On National Road Number 11 (EN1), b1etween the districts of Mocuba and Milange, some 200 kilometres apart, now stands a new road toll..

Nearly 11 million meticais [around US$178,426] was invested in the project, which is part of the Self-Sustained Road Maintenance Programme (PROASME).

The road sees heavy goods vehicles with varied loads circulate between Mozambique and neighbouring Malawi.

The delegate of the Road Fund in Zambézia, José Araújo, says that the initiative aims to guarantee the sustainability of the road, which was built three years ago. Toll fees range from 50 to 1,000 meticais for heavy vehicles with cargo.

“Zambézia now has three tolls, all of them in the district of Mocuba. They aim to preserve the investments made in the road sector to allow for effective maintenance,” Araújo said.

Motorists agree in principal, but say the toll fees are high. “Tolls are welcome, but I must say the prices are high. Those of us who transport people from one point to another have to pay 200 meticais. This is not satisfactory, because many times we are empty,” driver Jaime Luís says.

The Highway Fund delegate however says that the tariff is non-negotiable, and was calculated on the basis of a traffic study and estimates of maintenance interventions.

Given current traffic flows, the toll could raise 40,000 meticais a day for Zambézia’s road maintenance budget.

By Jorge Marcos

Source: O País