The Kampala-Entebbe Expressway has continued to make wonders in Uganda from being the most expensive road in the world and the first-ever toll road in the country, to becoming one of the largest sources of revenue for the Ugandan government.
To date, UGX 13billion has been collected in toll fees on behalf of the government from users of theKampala-Entebbe Expressway from January when it was launched by the Minister of works and transport, Gen. Katumba Wamala.
The road connects the Northern Bypass at Busega in the Ugandan capital city of Kampala to the country’s only airport, Entebbe International Airport.
The main objective for the construction of the Kampala-Entebbe Expressway was to provide an efficient mass transit route between two vital cities (Kampala and Entebbe) in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area region and decongest Kampala.
The toll collection and road operation is handled by Egis Road Operation Uganda.
Egis public relations manager, Joy Nabasa, said “Since toll collection commencement in January, we have been able to collect sh13b on the Kampala-Entebbe Expressway. Averagely, we receive 20,000 passages per day on all the toll plazas which are above our targets.”
Nabasa revealed that they have come up with a unique prepaid solution for customers who use the express highway frequently. She clarified that the company had launched the ‘Upesi Card’ which allows road users to preload their accounts and swipe at the different tolls on the expressway.
She went ahead and explained that the card is a convenient tool for road users who do not want to spend time exchanging money at the toll booths. Many road users have embraced Upesi card and 9,500 have been purchased and used by road users since the commencement of the toll fees collections.
“With this card, the user enjoys convenience at a great discount compared to the customers paying cash,” Nabasa clarified
The company has three Upesi card options with three different discount percentages. The cards can be purchased at toll stations in Busega, Kajjansi and Mpala.
The first one is the Easy Pass with a 10% discount per passage.
The second one is the Weekly Pass with up to 50% discount per passage valid for seven (7) days. This card is used by frequent road users and it comes with 14 trips.The Monthly Pass with up to 70% discount per passage is valid for 30 days. This comes with 60 trips and is also used by frequent road users.
Nabasa went ahead and said that they are doing a number of initiatives and they are all geared towards road safety along the express highway including; the routine running of road safety messages to their social media community. She noted that key tips along the expressway revolve around driving within the speed limit, keeping left unless overtaking, avoiding driving under the influence of alcohol, and keeping an appropriate distance between vehicles, and others.
The most important note out of her entire speech came in when she disclosed about installing lights along this time saving road. She said that lighting this road was going to enhance the security and the safety of the road users
“We are also working on the lighting along the expressway to enhance its security and safety for road users. We are working on an ambitious project which will see the road fully lit by the end of the year,” she disclosed.
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