The National Road Fund Agency (NRFA) has […]

The National Road Fund Agency (NRFA) has introduced mobile money payments at all toll gates managed by the Agency nationwide as part of its digital transformation drive, aiming to enhance efficiency and reduce congestion across Zambia’s road network. The move has, however, received mixed reactions from road users.

 While many motorists welcome the added convenience, others have expressed concern that network delays and slow transaction approvals are causing longer queues at busy toll facilities. Road user and economic analyst Maxwell Kauseni cautioned that the benefits of digital toll payments could be undermined by inadequate network infrastructure.

 He warned that weak connectivity might worsen congestion, counteracting the intended improvements in traffic flow. “Technology alone is not development because without strong infrastructure and efficient transaction processing, digital systems may frustrate motorists and create operational inefficiencies despite being a positive step towards a cashless economy,” Kauseni told ZBT.

 The NRFA’s digital rollout highlights both the promise and the challenges of integrating technology into public service delivery, underscoring the need for robust infrastructure to fully realize efficiency gains.

Meanwhile, Chiwala Sikazwe, Chief Executive Officer of Chiwala Exports and a frequent user of the Great North Road, told the Zambian Business Times (ZBT) that the mobile money option represents a significant improvement over the previous system.

Sikazwe explained that, in the past, motorists who lacked cash or had insufficient E-Toll card balances were forced to leave the toll gates to find withdrawal points or card top-up services, sometimes driving over 100 kilometers to do so.

 “The challenge was that if you did not have cash or enough balance on the card, you had no choice but to turn back and look for a place to withdraw money or top up the card, even if it meant driving over 100 kilometers back,” Sikazwe shared.

He further noted that mobile money payments are often faster than cash and E-Toll cards, since drivers can simply provide a phone number and confirm the transaction on their devices.

“In fact, mobile money is even faster than using tokens or E-Toll cards because with the old system topping up a card could take time due to network failures, forcing drivers to retry several times before the transaction went through,” he added

Article by Phillip Sinkala