Government Scraps Road Access Fee to Ease Motorist Burdens

By Staff Reporter

Driving in Zimbabwe just got a little cheaper. The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development has officially abolished the Road Access Fee, a move aimed at easing the financial burden on motorists and simplifying the cost of doing business on the country’s roads.

The change was gazetted under Statutory Instrument 113 of 2026 on 24 July 2026, part of a broader push to streamline government charges and cut outdated administrative requirements.

Why It Matters for Everyday Motorists

Owning and running a vehicle in Zimbabwe already comes with a long list of costs — licensing, insurance, tolls, and taxes among them. Removing the Road Access Fee delivers a few concrete benefits:

• Direct financial relief — one less recurring charge means more money staying with individual motorists, families, and businesses.
• Simpler administration — fewer payments and compliance steps make vehicle registration and licensing faster and less paperwork-heavy.
• Lower transport costs system-wide — freight and public transport operators face reduced operating costs, which over time can help stabilize fares and the cost of moving goods around the country.

The Ministry framed the change as part of a broader competitiveness push. As Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Hon. Adv. F.T. Mhona put it, the move reflects the Ministry’s commitment to improving the ease of doing business and economic competitiveness.

Why the Fee Existed — and Why It’s Gone Now

The decision makes more sense with some history attached.

The Road Access Fee dates back to 2009, introduced at a time when Zimbabwe had no comprehensive national tolling system. It was meant as a temporary way to raise funds for road maintenance while a more permanent system was built.

That permanent system arrived in the form of the Zimbabwe National Road Administration’s (ZINARA) expanding toll gate network. As tolling became the norm on major highways, motorists ended up paying twice for the same purpose — toll fees at the gate, plus the older Road Access Fee on top. Many saw this as unnecessary duplication, since both charges were funding the same thing: road infrastructure.

Scrapping the Road Access Fee removes that overlap, leaving toll fees as the clearer, primary mechanism for funding road maintenance.

What Hasn’t Changed

Abolishing the Road Access Fee doesn’t touch the rest of a motorist’s legal obligations. Still in force:

• ZINARA toll fees — unchanged, and now the primary funding source for national road maintenance
• Third-party motor insurance — still mandatory for every registered vehicle, protecting other road users
• Carbon tax, customs duties, and border charges — unaffected, since they serve separate policy purposes unrelated to road access

How Zimbabwe’s Approach Compares

Country	Main Road Funding Approach
Zimbabwe (new system)	Fuel levies, ZINARA toll fees, and vehicle licensing — Road Access Fee removed to eliminate duplication
South Africa	Primarily the national fuel levy, with SANRAL tolls on designated routes only
United States	Federal and state fuel taxes plus registration fees, with tolls charged only on specific highways or express lanes

The shift brings Zimbabwe closer to how these systems typically work elsewhere: motorists pay through a small number of clearly defined mechanisms, rather than multiple overlapping charges for the same underlying cost.

The Bigger Picture

For motorists, the practical upshot is straightforward — lower compliance costs, one less administrative step, and a road-funding system that’s easier to understand at a glance. It’s also a signal of where Zimbabwe’s transport policy appears to be headed: fewer redundant fees, more alignment with international norms, and an ongoing effort to keep road infrastructure funded sustainably without stacking charges on top of each other.

Reference: Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development press statement; Statutory Instrument 113 of 2026, gazetted 24 July 2026.