UPDATES: Senate To Reintroduce Toll Gates On Highways

The senate on Thursday, December 3, said it would reintroduce toll gates on highways and  revenue generated would be channeled to maintain roads.

This was contained in a report by the adhoc committee on works on the total collapse of federal roads in Nigeria and prevalent gully erosion sites.

The senate also summoned the ineffectiveness of Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to brief on Federal government concession and the Public-Private Partnership’s (PPP) arrangement on roads.

The report which was presented by Barnabas Gemade (Benue North east) also seeks to rebuild and maintain constantly existing roads, infrastructures and introduce weigh bridges to protect the roads.

Also, this report also seeks to discourage overtaking highways that were not constructed for ferrying heavy vehicles and trucks.

The senate president, Bukola Saraki, said it was still the responsibility of the committee on works to further investigations on this issue.

Sam Anyawu representing Imo state, while supporting the report, said a state of emergency on the roads in his state was required.

Meanwhile, four bills were presented on the floor of the senate. They include the word security watches nationwide bill 2015 and the sickle cell anemia (prevention,control and management) bill 2015.

The others include the unemployed youths, elderly and indigent sustainability allowances trust fund bill 2015 and chartered institute of facilities management of Nigeria bill 2015.