Pay tollgate fees, MPs,councillors ordered

Members of Parliament and councillors have been ordered to pay tollgate fees and should not waste their time begging for exemptions.

MPs have been clamouring for exemption from paying toll fees, arguing that most of the time, they would be performing parliamentary duties.

Transport  minister  Joram Gumbo, said they are not special.

"I am pleading with you MPs and councillors to stop writing letters seeking exemption to pay toll fees. The Government position is that you should pay the fees like what other motorists are doing so your letters will not be entertained".

Gumbo said some legislators were arguing that they make many trips to Parliament as well as to their constituencies hence the need for them to be exempt from paying toll fees, Chronicle reported.

"This culture of not wanting to pay for services should be done away with if we are to develop as a country.

" People must pay so that they get the good services they want," he added.

In 2014, the then Transport and Minister Obert Mpofu has told legislators should submit number plates for their respective vehicles to the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration so that they are captured in a database for easy implementation of the policy.

Government introduced toll fees as part of measures to raise funds to repair road infrastructure.

It has since installed toll plazas in some areas, which are highly sophisticated tollgates that are computerised to minimise pilferage.