Motorists, Passengers groan over Excessive Tollgate fees on Abuja-Makurdi Highway

One of the tollgates

Uchenna Johnson

Awka

 

Commuters plying the Abuja-Keffi-Lafia- Makurdi highway have expressed displeasure over a noticeable hike in transportation fares following the recent re-introduction of toll gates on the route.

The commuters, particularly those traveling the route from the FCT, lamented that the exorbitant toll rate being charged vehicles may have inadvertently passed the financial burden on the passengers who are already battling with existing harsh economic realities.

Recall that there are four tollgates introduced on the road, located in Garaku, Akwanga, Lafia and Makurdi.

According to some of the commuters who spoke at one out of the four toll gates on the route at Garaku, they are not totally averse to the tolling, but argued that the fee be reduced to lessen burden in passengers.

“The fees are outrageous and now being borne by innocent passengers.

“If the government decides to review the fees, it will still rake in the revenue it is looking for. So, why are they leaving it at this exorbitant rate?” they queried.

The commuters also raised eye brows over the choice of the FCT-Akwanga-Makurdi high way for the reintroduction of the toll gates when commuters plying other reconstructed highways across the length and breadth of the country are enjoying a toll free ride to their destinations.

The toll gates payment system which is done via the use of POS machine also generated long vehicular traffic as a result of the slow pace of payment process.

This also gave commuters a cause for concern over a possible terrorist attack on them considering the high rate insecurity on that road.

The Federal Government had on the 4th of February,2025 flagged off a cashless toll station on the 227.5 kilometers Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Makurdi highway.