In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, the Minister of Transport Khudoyor Khudoyorzoda revealed on January 30 that the Ministry of Transport proposes to operate the toll on some highways.

According to him, the only toll road functioning in in the country – Dushanbe-Chanak – has proved its effectiveness.

If the toll had not been operated on this highway, the Ministry of Transport would have not been able to cope with effects of snowfall and avalanches, the minister said.

“The Government does not provide funds for maintenance of this highway,” Khudoyorzoda added.  

Deputy Minister of Transport, Suhrob Mirzoyev, noted that the Ministry would submit its proposal on collecting fees for usage of some other highways to the Government this year.  

“There is an order of the Government to operate the toll on highways of 1st category,” Mirzoyev said.

Recall, the Branch of Innovative Road Solutions (IRS) LTD in Tajikistan was permitted to operate the toll on the Dushanbe-Chanak highway.  A 354-kilometer toll road from Dushanbe to Chanak links Tajikistan’s capital with Uzbekistan through the northern province of Sughd.

The highway was upgraded by Chinese companies and paid for with a $280 million loan from China.  The Tajik government decided to permit IRS to operate the toll on the highway in order to repay the loan to China.  A toll has been collected for using the highway since April 1, 2010.

Several toll-collection points (plaza) now operate on the Dushanbe-Chanak highway. 

The Branch of Innovative Road Solutions LTD in Tajikistan is an internationally held and managed company.  Innovative Road Solutions LTD was registered in British Virgin Islands in 2009. 

A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road (almost always a controlled-access highway in the present day) for which a fee (or toll) is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically implemented to help recoup the cost of road construction and maintenance.