The Petroleum Transporters Association of Zambia has raised alarms over the impending increase in toll fees at the Konkola Toll Plaza. The association warns that this change will lead to higher prices for consumers of goods and services that rely on transporters, as the increased costs will be passed on to them.
Information obtained by Phoenix News reveals that the Turbo Ka-Chin consortium, which manages the Konkola Toll Plaza, plans to increase toll fees for trucks from the current K1,250 to K1,550.
The Association’s Secretary General, Benson Tembo, is seeking clarity on this toll fee hike. He has called on the government or the concessionaire to explain the rationale behind the price change, questioning whether it is linked to the exchange rate, as the concession was signed in US dollars, while fees are collected in kwacha.
Mr. Tembo is also concerned about the management of the toll gate and the road between Chingola and Kasumbalesa, which are under the concessionaire’s control rather than the government’s. Stakeholders do not have access to the contents of the concession to assess its parameters.
Meanwhile, the President of the SADC Truck Drivers’ Association, Eugene Ndhlovu, describes the toll fee increment as exorbitant and warns that it will negatively impact consumers. He points out that transporters will likely pass on this cost increase, as has been the case with petroleum products and fuel prices.
