The federal government on Wednesday, December 21, announced that those using the recently opened Second Niger Bridge will pay toll, IGBERETV reports.

Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) said the road will remain open till January 1 for inward travelers, and for those on outward journey from January 2 to 15.

Speaking an interview on Channels Television, Fashola said the bridge will be shut after January 15.

In his words;

“Infrastructure is one of the instruments for economic growth and tackling multidimensional poverty.

“The purpose of the second Niger Bridge is to bring relief to Nigerians who traverse from east to west or west to east.

“Especially during the end of the year, we know that it is a logistics nightmare moving goods and services and people.

“The bridge itself is finished. The road linking it to the Obusi end on the Anambra side is finished, except for the interchange which is at different levels of completion. The road linking it to the Asaba side is the one that we could not finish.

“We know that it is a festive period; the ports are busy, sea and airports. The roads will also be busy. As part of the ember month plan, we decided to open it up and provide a choice for people (to either use the old bridge or the new one). We expect that it will relieve the inconvenience at this time of the year.

“We did the same thing on Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

“There is still work to be done there, but we think that it can get better if we remove the construction barriers so that it is a proper thorough fair.

“We did the same thing in Abuja-Kano. On Abuja-Kano, which is 365 km, we have only five obstructions, and they are for safety.

“The current opening (on the second Niger bridge) for motorists is for those going to the East and will end on the 1st of January. It is currently a one-way crossing.

“On January 2nd, we will reverse what we have done and allow people to use it from January 3rd, that is, for those going back from the East to West.

“On the 15th of January, we will shut it down again so that we can finish the 4 km access road that we are trying to build and also complete the interchanges.

“Inevitably, the bridge will be tolled. That is the job of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).

“Part of what we are looking at is that we have a bridge that is properly maintained.”

frank14011991:
For proper maintenance it has to be tolled. Buhari is the best thing to have happened to alaigbo

LegendHero:
Good. According to Fashola, Lagos-Ibadan expressway will also be tolled when completed. It’s seems that is their new policy now.

Anyone that do not wish to pay toll at the second Niger bridge should jump into the River Niger and swim across or better still make use of the previous bridge.

PureMe01:

Peter Obi is the next president and no dime is gonna be paid

Nukilia:
Interesting APC logic. I think 3rd mainland bridge would also be tolled someday

A nation where we destroyed all tolling booths with an amount far higher than what was used in building it.

Newsmic:


https://igberetvnews.com/1434456/second-niger-bridge-users-will-pay-toll-fg/

Wagwanbrethren:
Governments constantly run a budget deficit, at every level. So for those who might say 'how about tax' no, taxes aren't always enough.

Toll bridges are a little different. Big bridges are incredibly expensive to construct, so the builders need a way to recuperate that enormous loss of cash. Whether the bridge was built by a government, the private sector, or a partnership of the two, projects like that are only viable if they can partially pay for themselves through tolls. For example, the Ambassador Bridge (the busiest crossing on the USA_ Canada states border) is 100% privately owned, and earns the owner about $60,000,000 per year in revenue.
In theory, the tolls pay for repairs, maintenance, and upgrades for the road. In practice, however, abuses occurs. Occasionally the toll money goes to projects besides the road itself. But generally the toll roads are better maintained and thus less wear and tear on.

Truth is, government has to recover part of the cost of making new highways. It must not be forever. After 10 years it should be discontinued.
It depends on how construction and maintenance was financed. Every so often, the taxpayers agree to build a bridge. Other times they may object to the cost and only agree to partial funding. In that case, people using the bridge are charged a toll until the costs are paid off. In some cases, it’s never paid off.