The government is set to re-introduce toll charges on major public roads, even as it seeks to recoup the cost of constructing roads in the country.
Through the Public Finance Management (National Road Toll Fund) Regulations 2021, the government is looking to add a new layer of taxes against motorists using major city roads.
The new law now being pushed by the National Assembly’s Committee on Delegated Legislation will give powers to the Transport Cabinet Secretary to declare roads or some sections of the roads toll roads.
“The decision on whether and how to toll a road will be independent of decisions on how to finance, build, operate and maintain that road,” the Treasury informed Parliament.
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“This means that both new (green-field) and existing roads (brownfields) can be subject to tolling programmes, always providing that these are demonstrated to be both economically and financially feasible and their social and environmental impacts are shown to be sustainable.”
Some of the roads targeted include Nairobi-Nakuru, Nairobi-Mombasa, Nairobi-Thika, Nairobi’s Southern Bypass, Jogoo, Lang’ata and Ngong.
Motorists currently pay for road charges through the Roads Maintenance Levy which stands at Ksh18 per litre of diesel and petrol. The levy was introduced following the scrapping of toll charges in the 1990s.
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Motorists were expected to pay road tolls on roads developed through public-private partnerships like the Nairobi Expressway, on which they will pay between Ksh100 and Ksh1,500 depending on distance travelled and size of the car.
Kenyans will also pay toll fees on Rironi-Nakuru-Mau Summit road which will be built by French Consortium of Companies at a cost of Ksh160 billion through public-private partnership.