By Jude NJOKU
THE expansion of the Lekki – Epe expressway has been riddled with controversy since the concessionaire, Messrs Lekki Concession Company Limited (LCC) announced its intention to commence tolls collection.

But the man in the eye of the storm, Mr. Oforiokuma Opuiyo in this interview says the company is looking into the grievances of the stakeholders

Sometime ago, protesters blocked the expressway over the issue of tolling. What has LCC done since then to appease the aggrieved communities and other stakeholders?

The Lagos State appears to be doing more in terms of communicating and consulting with stakeholders.  This is an important step since LCC alone is not responsible for the project.

It is a Public Private Partnership with Lagos State which means that government has a key role.  LCC is helping government to implement its vision and policy for delivering world class road infrastructure along the Lekki-Epe Axis.  Recently, the Governor  set up a Stakeholder Committee comprising members of the aggrieved communities, local government officials, state government officials, and LCC.

We note from press reports that Alhaji Lateef Jakande, who was Governor of Lagos State when the Lekki-Epe Expressway was built, recently spoke on this and endorsed the approach.

We also note from recent press reports that the Ad Hoc Committee of the Lagos State House of Assembly, which was set up to review petitions received from local community groups about the project, recently reported its findings, including confirming the legality of what LCC has been doing, and also making important recommendations about what more government should do to bring people along.  All of this, we believe, are positive developments.

The major grievance is that LCC would be collecting tolls for constructing just one additional lane, why is this so?

This allegation lacks merit.  Describing the project as the construction of just one lane is a travesty, as the physical evidence out there shows.  For example, we are in the process of constructing the new Falomo On-Ramp near Caverton Heliport on Ozumba Mbadiwe Street which will enable Ikoyi-bound traffic in future to connect directly onto Falomo Bridge.

ExxonMobil Bridge, which was previously four lanes has already been expanded to eight lanes, even though we were only contractually required to expand it to six.  We have constructed the new fully-electronic 22-lane toll plaza by the Oniru Estate, and are already constructing another near Chevron.

The six-lane carriageway is more than an asphalted surface, and is designed to last for at least 30 years.  There are new drainage systems being installed along the expressway; new street lights and traffic lights; and underground service ducts housing electrical and telecommunications infrastructure.

There are already a number of new pedestrian overhead bridges visibly under construction with more to come.  In addition, we are responsible for the operation and maintenance of the road throughout the 30-year concession term.

We are also already providing complementary 24/7 emergency management services such as route patrols, security patrols, breakdown and recovery assistance, ambulance services, and a toll-free customer service help line, amongst other services.

Why are you in a  haste to begin toll collection when substantial part of the concession has not been done? Is it that collected tolls would be used to complete the remaining stretch?

There is no haste to begin toll collection.  We’re simply following the terms of our Concession Agreement with Lagos State which provides for tolling to commence when defined road sections are substantially complete, and have been certified as such by the Independent Engineer who is an experienced international engineering firm.

Tolling of roads when sections are complete is fairly normal internationally, and recognises that roads suffer wear-and-tear and damage the moment that they are put into use.

Road users are already using the completed first road section, which comprises the first six kilometres of the road, the expanded ExxonMobil Bridge, and the new 22-lane toll plaza complex.  Road users are also inflicting damage on the new road section, which LCC, of course, continues to maintain and repair throughout.

This costs money.  Since PPPs are based on user-pays-principles, it is normal for the costs of use to be recovered from road users.  This is the basis on which our Concession Agreement is structured, and this is why it is now necessary to collect tolls on the first road section.

Another grouse of the stakeholders is the issue of multiple tolling on the road?

There isn’t multiple tolling of the road.  We believe, however, that your question is about why we plan to construct three toll plazas on the road. I will therefore answer it in that context.

Our focus is on matching toll charges to shorter distances, so that people who do not wish to travel long distances do not have to pay more than necessary.  This is known as “equitability”.  It actually costs you less to have more rather than less toll plazas on the road.

Why?  The road has a fixed cost.  If you aim to recoup all your costs at a single toll collection point, you will find that you will have to charge more at that point than if you chose to spread the same fixed cost over two, three or even more toll collection points.

The person who therefore wishes to travel a short distance, which may be matched to lesser distances between the toll plazas where there are more, will therefore end up paying less.

Besides, as alternative routes will be available, road users who do not wish to pay the tolls will be able to drive around the toll plazas and then come back onto the expressway where they will continue to enjoy the world class road assets and services until they have to make a choice whether to pay the tolls or use the alternative route.  That way, it will be possible to use the new road without ever paying tolls.

LCC has often talked about alternative routes that those who do not want to pay tolls can use. Which are these routes?

In the case of the first toll plaza by the Oniru Estate, road users can use Ligali Ayorinde Street or Oniru Market Road to bypass that toll plaza if they do not wish to pay.

Regarding the remaining two toll plazas, which have not as yet been constructed, and which will not be ready until 2011, the key thing is that alternative routes that will allow roads users who do not wish to pay tolls to bypass them, will be available before tolling commences at those points.

We can confirm that LCC is assisting the Lagos State with the survey and design of the relevant roads, and will also assist with their construction in line with specifications provided by Lagos State, when the time comes.

Why is the matter so contentious? Is it that LCC did not do adequate consultation before embarking on the project?

The project developers undertook various studies dating back as far as 2002, and conducted extensive research by asking questions of people along the axis.

Accordingly, the project is based on serious fact-finding about local conditions and the area in which the project is currently being executed.  This is a project that is being implemented in conjunction with government, that latter who has a critical role in the consultation and dialogue with the people, particularly in the local communities where some of the complaints have emerged from.

Records show that government called town hall meetings years before the project commenced.  Communication, nevertheless, is a continuous process; hence, when people don’t feel carried along, there must surely be something that all sides can learn from this.

That being said, it’s an entirely different matter when people call for the project to be cancelled because we don’t want to toll now, especially after LCC has committed significant sums to developing the project, including delivered the first road section as required by the Concession Agreement.

We understand that there are some people who genuinely don’t understand what is going on or who have genuine fears of the unknown.  There are, however, people who in the pursuit of one agenda or another, have deliberately set about on a campaign of calumny and falsehoods against the project.

All in all, what we are seeing is normal, judging by the experience of other countries where road tolling was introduced.