Moja Expressway, the company charged with managing and running the 27-km Nairobi Expressway, has warned Kenyans against sending toll fees to private mobile numbers of its officers.
In a notice dated Thursday, June 2, Moja Expressway stated that paying toll fees by sending money to toll attendants amounts to subverting the law.
The company clarified that none of the attendants was cleared to receive money on behalf of the company, asking motorists to report such incidences.
"Kindly take note, toll attendants are not permitted to receive toll fees on their personal mobile money accounts. Please help us serve you better by reporting such unauthorised transactions to us via our hotline," the notice read in part.
Before opening the Expressway to the public on May 14, the operator disclosed that it would only be receiving payments in cash, or through Manual Toll Collection (MTC) or the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) cards.
The MTC and ETC requires users to register with Moja Expressway using their vehicle logbooks. Both call for the users to pre-load points which will be deducted based on the trips taken.
Motorists using the manual card will have to tap the card on an electronic device which scans the card and automatically deducts the points. However, those using the ETC pre-install an onboard unit (OBU) will have their vehicles scanned automatically at the entry and exit points.
The operator explained that of the three, the ETC was the fastest payment method with an average time of three seconds while the MTC and cash take 13 and 30 seconds respectively.
Upon the launch for its pre-trial period, heavy traffic was witnessed at several toll stations, with Moja Expressway attributing it to a large number of MTC and cash users. To curb this, it offered incentives to users to encourage them to get the ETC.
"The non-stop service saves the user time as there is no stopping at toll stations. Five per cent discount to toll fees payable through the ETC service per trip," Moja Expressway stated.
On May 31, Infrastructure Principal Secretary, Paul Maringa, told the Parliamentary Committee on Transport, Housing and Public Works that plans were in place to integrate mobile money payment to ease the efficiency of the road.
Maringa also noted that new plans to redesign the expressway were already in place, saying this was necessary to curb traffic and enable easy access to the Central Business District (CBD).
