Motorists using the Nairobi Expressway will have the option of paying electronically or in cash.
The Moja Expressway Company, which will operate and maintain the road for the next 27 years, stated that motorists could pay in cash at toll booths or tap and go with a Manual Toll Card.
The company also stated that it will provide motorists with an Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) service, in which they will be issued with cards that will allow them to travel quickly and easily on the expressway.
It said the ETC was the best way as it offers users non-stop passage at the toll gates.
The manual toll card can be periodically topped up through electronic payments, including mobile money as well as cash payments at the toll gates.
“The ETC service provided by Moja allows toll points to be electronically deducted through the pre-installed on-board unit device, offering a non-stop road service,” said the company in promotional materials.
It explained that to get the ETC card, motorists would need to pay a service charge of Sh1,000. They would also be required to produce their ID cards as well as the vehicle’s logbook as proof of ownership.
Motorists would also be required to purchase toll points worth at least Sh2,000, which would be deducted whenever they used the road but would be valid for only one year.
Moja Expressway Company is an affiliate of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), the firm that has built the road under a public-private partnership.
The expressway operator and Kenya National Highways Authority are expected to start guided trials of the road and the systems that have been installed, including the automated toll gates.
The operator will collect road tolls, which will be used for maintenance and repair of the double-decker road but also enable CRBC to recoup its investments in the road.
The firm spent Sh88 billion on building the expressway.
However, Kenyans have raised issues with some of the requirements for purchasing the toll card, including original logbooks.
Some cars are purchased on loan, and logbooks are held by banks, raising concerns that the owners will be unable to use the expressway.
Once operational, motorists will pay between Sh100 and Sh1,550 depending on the distance traveled and the size of their vehicles to use the 27-kilometer Nairobi Expressway.
Ambulances, police cars, and military vehicles will be exempt from the toll.
Tuk-tuks and boda bodas will not be permitted on the road.
The fees will be determined by the distance traveled on the expressway as well as the size of the vehicles used.
