Transporters up in arms over Zambia toll fees

26 Nov 2013 - by Adele Mackenzie

Foreign transporters entering
Zambia’s borders are up in arms
about the country’s national road
tolling programme, which came
into effect on November 1 this
year. The Federation of East and
Southern African Road Transport
Associations (Fesarta) lodged a
non-tariff barrier (NTB) complaint
at the end of last month (October)
stating that “the added fees mean
that foreign vehicles will be paying
more than their fair share for
road usage, and will merely add
to the cost of goods consumed in
landlocked countries”.
“The introduction is considered
an unfair practice, since the tolls
apply to foreign vehicles, and these
vehicles pay road user charges on
entry into the country,” said Fesarta
CEO Barney Curtis.
The road user charges that the
foreign vehicles pay (between
US$10 per 100 km and US$16 per
100 km), are set to cover the road
usage cost by the vehicles as they
travel the country’s roads.
Updated road user charges are
being developed by the Comesa/
EAC/SADC Tripartite alliance
“There is no justification for
Zambia to introduce toll fees for
foreign vehicles as it is a duplication
of the road user charges paid by
them on entry into the country,” the
NTB complaint states.

CAPTION
Trucks on the Kazungula road, Zambia.

INSERT

Phase one of the national road tolling programme
started on November 1, tolling classes II, III , IV, V
and VI. These vehicles are required to pay tolls
at Zambia’s 17 ports of entry:
Chirundu
Kariba
L iv i ngstone
Kazungula
Katima Mulilo
Chavuma
Jimbe
Kasumbalesa
Tshisenda
Mokambo
Sakania
Chembe
Nakonde
Lundazi
Mwami(Chipata)
Chanida
Luangwa