The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, ICRC has defended the toll pricing structure under the Highway Development and Management Initiative, saying the charges are determined by the quality of roads and the benefits they provide to motorists.

The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the commission, Dr Jobson Ewalefoh, made this known in a statement.Ewalefoh cited the 227-kilometre Akwanga–Makurdi road corridor as an example, noting that the route has four toll gates where motorists make payments as they travel.

According to him, toll charges should be considered in relation to the costs motorists previously incurred because of the poor condition of the road.

He listed lost working hours, vehicle damage and increased accident risks among the challenges associated with deteriorated roads.

The ICRC boss said feedback from road users indicated that many motorists were willing to pay tolls when they could see significant improvements in road quality.

He added that some drivers had also expressed support for similar toll arrangements on other major road corridors, provided the roads were upgraded to comparable standards.

“That, to me, is the beauty of a well-structured PPP,” Ewalefoh said.He explained that toll rates were carefully negotiated to ensure that the charges remained fair to road users.

Ewalefoh further disclosed that part of the toll revenue was specifically allocated to road maintenance, meaning the Federal Government would not incur additional maintenance costs throughout the concession period.

Under the concession agreements, he said, potholes were expected to be repaired within 48 hours, while major routine repairs would be funded from the dedicated toll revenue.

The ICRC is responsible for regulating public-private partnership arrangements involving infrastructure concessions in Nigeria.