North Darfur state to remove illegal toll gates

The North Darfur state government issued a decree removing all toll gates on its roads, prohibiting illegal collection of money, and arresting illegal ‘passage fee’ collectors. The decision also stipulates the formation of joint forces to cover the vital roads, and the roads leading to the state’s localities. The force will be in charge of arresting illegal toll gate keepers. All toll gates are to be removed and imposing toll charges will be prohibited, except via the localities’ authorities. The Ministry of Finance will coordinate with the North Darfur state to implement the decree. Users of vital roads in the state, such as the El Fasher-Nyala highway, have witnessed extortion and violence at checkpoints and toll gates set up by militiamen over the past months. They often used violence if drivers were reluctant to pay the high passage fees. El Fasher. The southern road leads to Nyala. (Satellite image by Google) Related: Robbery, hijacking, pillaging in North, Central Darfur (18 September 2014) Four vehicles pay SDG 8,000 at North Darfur ‘toll gate’ (4 September 2014)