Kasungu communities engaged on toll plaza

The Roads Fund Administration (RFA) has engaged and assured communities around Gwai in Kasungu District that government will compensate them for their land.

The toll plaza at Gwai on M1 in Kasungu is among other two plazas at Naluva on Lilongwe-Salima Road and Chileka on Lilongwe-Mchinji Road.

Speaking on Friday when Minister of Transport and Public Works Jacob Hara inspected the site, RFA chief executive officer Steward Malata said the communities will also benefit from the facility.

“We have engaged and assured communities that the land that will be taken will be fully compensated for. We also asked them to look after the project because it will benefit them,” he said.

Hara said government was constructing toll plazas to raise money to maintain roads in the country.

“We need more toll plazas as they will assist in keeping in shape the good roads that we are building,” he said.

Hara, however, expressed concern with the delay to start rehabilitating the 85.5 kilometres (km) stretch of the M1 from Kasungu Boma to Jenda in Mzimba.

He said: “The project was launched some time back, but the contractor is still mobilising resources.

“However, there is good progress and commitment to sort out everything so the work can start by November.”

Sub-Traditional Authority Kalikokha said the toll plaza will create employment opportunities for locals in the area and generate money to rehabilitate roads in the country.