via Rights lawyers mull toll fee hike challenge 08 July 2014
THE Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) is considering legal action against the government’s decision to hike toll gate fees without consultations.
Government, through the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Obert Mpofu, last Friday increased toll fees by 100 per cent.
Motorists and transport operators condemned the hike which was seen as part of efforts by the cash-strapped government to raise money as it struggles to even pay its workers.
“We wrote a letter to Minister Mpofu recently after he had indicated his intention to hike the toll fees, requesting him to account for the fees they had been collecting from toll gates since 2009 when the initiative started,” ZLHR spokesperson Kumbirai Mafunda told NewZimbabwe.com in an interview Tuesday.
“He (Mpofu) has not yet responded to us but we are seeing him carrying on with the fee hikes and this is worrying us very much. As the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, after being worried like this ,we do not fold hands and watch.
“As I am speaking, since Monday, our office has not been sleeping but let me not say a lot. We are doing something and come (Wednesday) we will be telling you another story on the toll fees hike development.”
Following the hike private motorists will now pay US$2 up from US$1 at the numerous toll gates on the country’s motorways with haulage trucks paying $10, from $5. The increase was the first since tollgates were introduced five years ago.
Zimbabwe Rural Transport Organisation vice chairman Regis Munenzwa told NewZimbabwe.com that rural fares would go up with effect from this Friday due to the rise in toll fees.
“We are going to increase the fares starting this Friday because we have nothing to do than to pass on the cost to the passengers who are already stressed.
“We are disappointed by this development which came to us a surprise as we were not consulted. The increase is too much and unbearable. We are in pain,” said Munenzwa.
COMMENTS
How many stories have we had on this site since the inception of the new Government where Representatives of the People are not for one reason or another disclosing how public monies, from police traffic fines to toll fee’s to parastatal CEO payments and all the rest, are spent or arrived at! These people who supposedly were elected to their posts by ‘the People’need to realize that what little money this Government has belongs to the country, and its people and it needs to be accounted for!
The morons will not account for what they have looted
hey guys up ther cant u c kuti tirikutambura 1 day we wil show u that is enough u wil not like it.