The Federal Government’s proposal to impose a N3,000 toll fee per toll gate upon the completion of the Lagos-Calabar coastal road has sparked widespread outrage.
Senator Dave Umahi, Minister of Works, confirmed this figure during a television program on Channels Television.
Several stakeholders, including Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Labour Party, the Coalition of United Political Parties, the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, and transport operators, have criticized the move.
Umahi justified the toll fee by estimating an average of 50,000 vehicles passing through each toll gate per day and proposed an average toll fee of N3,000.
He emphasized that this fee would cover a range of vehicles, from cars to large trucks, over a 15-year period.
He reassured that no jobs would be lost and that properties, such as the Landmark Beach Resort, would not be demolished for the construction of the 700-kilometer coastal road project.
In addition to toll collection, Umahi outlined plans for security measures and amenities at the toll gates, including CCTV surveillance, restaurants, filling stations, and parking lots.
