Toll collectors at the redeveloped 49-kilometre Eti-Osa/Lekki-Epe highway attended to their first customers yesterday.
Governor Babatunde Fashola led the way, stopping at the toll gate to pay. He was driving his official Land Rover Sport Utility Vehicle at 1.35p.m. The stretch was redeveloped by the concessionaire, Messrs Lekki Concessioning Company (LCC).
With the governor were the Director-General, Office of Public Private Partnership (PPP), Mr Ayo Gbeleyi and LCC officials.
The tolling began after 11 months of consultations with stakeholders, who registered their opposition, forcing the government to stop toll payment, originally billed for take-off on January 3.
Fashola had told a Town Hall meeting that his administration paid N4billion to the concessionaire for as long as his directive to suspend tolling lasted.
Lekki residents complained that there was no alternative route for those without the financial wherewithal to pay the toll.
Some of the aggrieved residents who protested at the weekend were arrested by the police. The governor directed they should be released.
An excited Fashola expressed satisfaction with the take-off of the tolling and urged motorists to embrace the positive change introduced to road redevelopment by the initiative.
The governor urged residents to always give peace a chance.

He denied reports that there was a dead body on the highway on the eve of the inauguration of the toll, pointing out that the photograph published in a newspaper was a figment of imagination.
Fashola said: “The picture was non-existent. It was published with a malicious intention to malign the integrity of the Lagos State government.”

Fashola defended his administration’s position on the toll gate, saying that he acted in good faith and utter sensitivity to reality. He urged Lagosians to show understanding.
Fielding questions from reporters later, Fashola described the road as the first with a technologically driven toll gate in the country and assured motorists of efficient services as the road was built with facilities for electronic operations.
He admonished Lagosians to see the road, with its modern facilities, as a positive change which was necessary to connect them with the future.
He said: “Technology is change; Lagos is moving on; Nigeria is moving on. We cannot continue to wish this kind of thing only in our experiences outside our country. Change has come upon us; let us embrace it.”
The governor urged residents to see the future and the bigger picture of the toll gate rather than the little discomfort they may be caused by the introduction. “Change calls for all of us to give up our vested rights and move on,” he said, adding: “I see a better future, I see a brighter future.”

On the traffic congestion as a result of the tolling, Fashola said: “Really, it is the change. Every time we have had to adapt to something new, there is always some discomfort.

“The day GSM started, there were so many drop-calls that you could not connect. But within a few days, there were feedbacks which made it easy for the operators to rectify the situation and make it better.

“We need feedbacks. What is the problem? Feedbacks will help us and the concessionaire to adapt and respond. We are here to serve; that is our job. Anywhere the shoe pinches you, tell us and leave us to solve it and make it better.”
He said the decision to launch the toll payment on a Sunday was informed by the need to reduce the impact of a first experience and give the people time to adjust to the change. In the next few days, traffic will flow freely, he said.
Fashola advised motorists to use the electronic tag, instead of paying cash at the plaza, pointing out that the process of paying cash and obtaining change contributes to the delay that triggers the gridlock.

“You get a discount for even buying the electronic tag and you get the discount immediately. I am sure we will all be telling a better story in a few weeks time,” Fashola said.
In his view, the protesters were exercising their democratic rights. The governor said: “That is democracy; there must be another side. This is also employment. The concessionaire is a Nigerian company with international investments. They are employing our people.”
On alternative routes, the governor said his administration had provided an alternative route, contrary to insinuations that there was no alternative route.
Said Fashola: “Of course, there is an alternative route. We are increasing it. The story out there before was that there was no alternative road, but you have seen for yourselves that there is an alternative road. We will make it better and increase it as we go on.”

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/30280-fashola-pleads-with-residents-on-toll.html

What modern facilities?? Really?

Kobojunkie:

What modern facilities?? Really?

A beg ask am o

I believe a good road is a good road whether modern or not

I really hope fashola is not going ahead with this 3 toll gate crap.

I really do hope he is not

The toll payment will maintain the road, the main issue is three within such short distance. FYI, there will be toll on the badagry road too when completed.
Dialogue will always be the way out

pheesayor:

The toll payment will maintain the road, the main issue is three within such short distance. FYI, there will be toll on the badagry road too when completed.
Dialogue will always be the way out

Are you sure the total payment will maintain the road? If yes, then what exactly is the Governor doing with the taxes paid by residents in the area for? I mean they still lack water, electricity, good schools, secure facilities, etc.


_{I know someone is going to try telling me that fixing up of local roads alone gulp up all of the taxes currently collected from people in the Lekki Area, or any other area for that. And to that person I suggest he/she go offer up that brain fart to his fellow eejits instead.}

Tolling on lekki epe express is fraud courtesy of tinubu. ASIWAJU CORPORATION OF NIGERIA (Its tinubus) modernised agbero in connivance with fashola to extort and defraud residents and people using the road.

Fashola 2015.

Clowns.

I laugh most times when i see comments against the Toll Gate . Few months back(General Elections), it was either Fashola or nobody. some goons here took it upon themselves whether paid or unpaid, to project fashola as the "messiah of the time". Now the monkey has revealed his azz licking persona, you are here spewing trash.

It is stupi**dity if we continue to act in bandwagon and expect change. We allow our emotions to lead us and expect to make a positive and objective decision. I put it you, come 4 years, you all will forget these times AND VOTE THE SAME ACN led government.

As long as there are alternate roads that is easily accessible and motorable, I am ok with fasholas explanation.

There is no alternative road on Lekki Epe Expressway. What we currently have is an alternative to the Toll point. and it creates nothing but bottleneck on the narrow road being touted as the alternative for the size of traffic being sent to it.

I had to drop my wife in the office this morning and I could only thank God I envisaged the bottleneck that will exist on the road and factored it into my journey plan. I had enough time to run back from the alternative route because it was already getting clogged even before the Oniru Market junction. By the time I was returning, the back up from the toll gate had almost extended all the way to the second round about at Marwa Junction.

God will surely punish those that are bringing so much hardship on us. They will not have more than money.

Funny set of people we have in Nigeria.

The Toll Gate machine broke down this morning and there was serious traffic jam. The operators  had no option than to stop the toll as at this morning and allow motorists to be passing freely. I am very sure this toll thing wont work. lai lai

Fashola carry go jare, the tax money is used to pay workers and build those health centers you guys see. There are 18 million people in Lagos who need to be taken care of, 3B dollars can not do that, there is a need to supplement with loans and PPP like these, I am sure that in a couple of days, the chaotic situation will be ameliorated, one thing I want Lagosians to know is that there will always be traffic congestion, we are just too many in this state.

Sorry, am based in ph and visit lag occassionally. Ain't familiar with these routes. Are u saying that the governor is lying about this alternative route?

No new alternative routes were built. Instead, in order to keep with the deadline, the Governor named an existing backyard short cut an alternative route, according to what I have gleaned so far. The road is not built for expressway traffic or anything close and so that explains the bottleneck experienced on the one lane route.

akhis:

Funny set of people we have in Nigeria.

The Toll Gate machine broke down this morning and there was serious traffic jam. The operators  had no option than to stop the toll as at this morning and allow motorists to be passing freely. I am very sure this toll thing wont work. lai lai

It's expected as stated by the gov. Hiccups like this aren't out of place for new initiatives like this. It will be corrected I hope.

Please don't get me wrong people. I do not live in Lagos o but I heard it is only the rich people that live in that place called Lekki?. Abi? How much is the toll? Can someone please clear my doubt?

Kobojunkie:

No new alternative routes were  built. Instead, in order to keep with the deadline, the Governor named an existing backyard short cut an alternative route, according to what I have gleaned so far. The road is not built for expressway traffic or anything close and so that explains the bottleneck experienced on the one lane route.

Where'd built by fashola or provided by lord luggard isn't material to me. The bottom line is there is one. The capacity needs to be increased no doubt, the gov recognised this fact and even made mention of it in this report. Lagosians need to hold him accountable on this.

kokoA:

Please don't get me wrong people. I do not live in Lagos o but I heard it is only the rich people that live in that place called Lekki?. Abi? How much is the toll? Can someone please clear my doubt?

That is not true.  The poor living there remain in the majority. I read that those driving sedans, according to LCC, pay N120 per cross. And since only one toll gate went live on Sunday, that means you pay N240 each day, if you head out and back on the same road.

I see the toll gate BOMBED soon,
and from there lagos will learn how
to bomb.

I'm on the alternative road as we speak. The traffic is gangster. But the toll gate traffic is equally gangster. I'm not going to spend an hour in traffic and still pay toll abeg. We go stay with the 'alternative route'.

i am not against generating fund for the state bt my prob is dat will they be able 2 give proper account for the money generated? will they use d money to improve the state? will d average lagos benefit frm the money? Hope is nt an avenue for our useless non-functionin and stupid leader to enrich demselves

gendebs:

i am not against generating fund for the state bt my prob is dat will they be able 2 give proper account for the money generated? will they use d money to improve the state? will d average lagos benefit frm the money? Hope is nt an avenue for our useless non-functionin and silly leader to enrich demselves

I believe the money, you are referring to, belongs mostly to LCC and not the state. This is not some money generating venture for the state.

Finally, traffic at the toll gate has reduced drastically,

@Ajanlekoko

So there really is an alternative route, it is expected that when stuff like these start, there will be some chaos, the LCC guys just need to fine tune their strategies, also more BRT buses should be deployed on that route so that the poor will have a cheaper means of transportation, danfos can always ply between the toll points, that way, they will not be paying any toll fees.

what a backstabber!!

i dont think fashola get what the people are saying. Here is it. it is not possible to put toll gate inside a major road in lagos. Toll gate are put on the outskirt of a state. Toll gate are use to collect revenue to state from people who want to enter into the state. Every state in nigeria should have a toll gate, showing people they are entering into a state. This is how they use toll gate.


Toll gate show people , you are about to enter into a new state while driven,  So that the people would know the laws have change on the road in the new state. Each state have different road laws.  Either is is a federal road or state road, as long as the road is a border between two state. State are to collect tolls from only people entering into that state. But state cant collect toll from people going going out from their state, 


If you are going into Ogun state, Only Ogun state is allowed to collect toll, while those coming into lagos state,  Only lagos state is allowed to collect toll. they do not put toll inside a city like fashola have done it in lekki. They put it at the border of Lagos and Ogun state. it is only when private company have built that road that they allow that private company to collect toll. But from what people write online. It looks like tax payers money was used to build the road. If I am correct, lagos does not look like they can collect toll from it. except if the road end in the border of Lagos and Ogun state.

There must be toll between Kaduna /kano state collected by kaduna  or kano state depending on who is entering the state. even if the road is a federal road. Because tolls are not for repairing roads but for maintain a state. and generating revenue for the state,   



Toll gate tell you, you are entering into a new state, which you are not a tax payer for,  It is use to force people entering into a state who never contributed to the facilities of that state to make them pay for using that state facilities while they are inside that state.

So on all federal road, state should be allowed to have toll gate at the border between two state . So that each state can collect toll fare. This is how toll gate are set up,      toll gate tell people. You are entering into a New state with different laws under a different police service. And the laws from that toll gate have changed.

This is why i said I should be president. because I know more than Jonathan Goodluck or fashola, not saying it as pride because I have lived here for nearly 2 decade.  To make people lifes better.  to make life better for people in Nigeria. we have to copy the white man.  If you dont now the white man, you can make people life better.   I will surpass what ever all the president have all done together in less than 4 years.  This is why I said I want to be president. You can go and ask pastor adeboye or Pastor Oluseye of CAC worldwide, is my friend father.  if I am self seeking individual.

You see. Lagos must form what is called the Lagos state Marshall service.  And Ondo state must have what is called the Ondo state marshall service. So is Ekiti. kwara, kogi, delta, oyo state etc,  The marshall enforce state laws and court on lagos road and others including security.   parking, and others,

alj_harem:

Fashola had told a Town Hall meeting that his administration paid [size=14pt]N4billion[/size] to the concessionaire for as long as his directive to suspend tolling lasted.

^How much did the road cost to start with? This sounds really fishy to me. N4 billion?

Why is there no toll in Bourdillon, Banana Island, Surulere, Ikeja, Okota,Falomo, VI, etc?

I recall Jakande Built that road initially, is it now Rehabilitate, Operate and Transfer (ROT) and no longer
Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT)

If it is BOT, why dont LCC build their road on a fallow bush/land and toll it instead of upgrading what someone else built with tax payers money years ago.

Does BRF even realize that students and the unemployed uses this road with the effect on transportation?

Guys, I am sure you must have at one time or the other passed through the railway crossing from Mushin-Olosa to access Ikorodu road, there is a toll gate- mini Lekki concessionaire (a serving house of rep member owns this). This has been on for God knows how long and nobody has ever complained. Lagosian nay Nigerians will never go back to the type of protest we had during the June 12. Like someone said; as long as he can afford it, what the HELL is the demonstration for because police regualrly extort drivers without anything returned. He is ok with a good stretch of road that the concessionarie is tolling for.