Tollgate fees are now payable in USD

The government has, in SI 32 of 2021, announced that tollgate fees are now payable in USD and local currency.

The fees are as follows:

Vehicle	Price in US$
Motorcycle	–
Light-Motor Vehicle	2.00
Mini-buses	3.00
Buses	4.00
Heavy Vehicles	5.00
Haulage Trucks	10.00

The statutory instrument also goes on to say that foreign vehicles will pay tollgate fees in USD or the equivalent in whichever currency they possess. Now let’s take a look at the good and the bad of this from a local perspective:

The good (Options, Options, Options…)

Financial freedom is something that I have harped on ad nauseam. We need payment flexibility and that is what USD payments at tollgates will bring. If there is a network issue at the tollgate you are at, you now have the option of paying in USD.

This announcement goes some way in adding to the developments we have seen that address congestion at toll points. One, in particular, is NMB and ZINARA’s tap card partnership. This is something that on face value that didn’t really need to happen because ZINARA already has its own prepaid card. However, this gave motorists another option and far more outlets where they could procure a prepaid card they could use to ensure smoother passage.

The bad (USD doesn’t grow on trees)

Forex, USD in particular, isn’t the easiest thing to come by. This is made worse by the pandemic because even though there are businesses that are deemed essential for intercity travel. The depressed levels of business due to the lockdown means USD, being the easiest way to pay, isn’t something that most businesses want to part with (or individuals for that matter).

We also have to talk about the issue of change. No matter where you are in Zimbabwe getting change is a hustle. If you don’t have the exact amount in USD and other payment options are not working you are going to be delayed while the tollgate attendants can give you your change.