Kenyans have been reminded not to transfer toll fees to private mobile numbers of Moja Expressway personnel, the corporation in charge of managing and operating the 27-kilometer Nairobi Expressway.
Moja Expressway stated in a notification dated Thursday, June 2 that paying toll costs via sending money to toll employees is illegal.
The firm stressed that none of the attendants were authorized to accept money on the company’s behalf, and asked motorists to report any such incidents.
“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 the Expressway opened to the public on May 14, the operator stated that it would only accept cash, manual toll collection (MTC), or electronic toll collection (ETC) cards as payment.
Users must register with Moja Expressway using their car logbooks under the MTC and ETC.
Both require users to pre-load points that will be deducted dependent on the number of trips they take.
Drivers who use the manual card must tap it on an electronic device, which scans it and deducts the points automatically. Those that pre-install an onboard unit (OBU) using the ETC, on the other hand, will have their vehicles scanned automatically at 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).
