Uganda began collecting tolls along the Kampala-Entebbe Expressway, a key gateway to the country’s sole international airport.
It is one of the country’s most expensive roads, built with a $350 million loan from the Exim Bank of China.
Toll collections began following months of preparation and public engagement regarding the operation of the Kampala-Entebbe Expressway and the pricing structure for different types of vehicles.
Depending on the size of their vehicle, motorists on the road will need to pay between Ush5,000 ($1.4) and Ush18,000 ($5).
Katumba Wamala, the Ugandan general who is serving as Minister of Works and Transport, launched the toll collection on Saturday. He said part of the funds collected will be used to finance the loan while the remainder will go towards operating expenses such as security along the road, ambulance and breakdown services, and routine road maintenance.
“Even if we get the money and pay off the loan and the operators, we still need to do more roads because right now most of the money we are using to build roads, we are borrowing. So it is high time we generated revenue to fund our road construction; this is part of the process,” Gen Katumba said.
The road toll fees will be collected by French engineering and mobility services company Egis.
The government of Uganda has a master plan aimed at reducing the number of motor vehicles within Kampala’s city limits by building expressways. However, its execution has been hindered by a lack of funding.
Currently, the country is constructing the Busega-Mpigi expressway, and the Kampala-Jinja expressway, a major link to Kenya, is being procured.
Gen Katumba said that all of the expressways the country is building will be toll roads.
A recent amendment of the Ugandan laws now allows the government to collect toll fees from road users on particular roads if the public has a free alternative.