RTEAN urges FG to reintroduce tollgates

The National Chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria on Monday told the Federal Government to re-establish tollgates on the nation’s highways.

Alhaji Musa Isiwele made the call in a telephone interview with in Lagos.

He said that government should also introduce weigh- bridges and parking lots on highways.

The chairman said that re-establishing tollgates would assist in curtailing insecurity and boost revenue generation for government.

Isiwele argued that building parking lots at toll plazas would also serve as relaxation spots for motorists.

He said the weigh-bridges would also regulate loads carried by articulated vehicles plying the roads.

“When they bring tollgates back, they will serve other purposes, including security because there will be no more road blocks.

“The money collected as tolls can be used to fix the roads because the money will run into billions every year.

“The weigh-bridges will prevent drivers from carrying over-load. It is done in Saudi Arabia, South Africa and other places I know.

However, a motorist, Mr John Adeyanju, argued that re-introducing tollgates would bring rancour and result to wasting of resources.

“Government must have compared the advantages and disadvantages of the tollgates before cancelling it.

“If another administration decides to bring it back it means a waste of the country’s resources,” Adeyanju said.

Another motorist, Mr Nojeem Owolabi, also argued that re-introducing the tollgates would cause traffic gridlock.

“Re-building the tollgates will not only be waste of money but a means of giving some people opportunity to steal money,” Owolabi said.