Government Scraps Road Access Fee After 17 Years, Ending Double Charges for Motorists

Southerton Business Times
5 hours ago
2 min read

By Southerton Business Times | Harare

Zimbabwean motorists will no longer pay the Road Access Fee after the Government officially abolished the levy with immediate effect, ending what transport operators had long described as a duplication of road user charges. Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona announced on Monday, 27 July 2026, that Statutory Instrument 113 of 2026, gazetted on 24 July 2026, repealed the Road Access Fee following a government-wide review of taxes, licences and permit fees.

The decision comes after President Emmerson Mnangagwa directed ministries during the first Cabinet meeting of the year to eliminate unjustifiable and overlapping charges that were increasing the cost of doing business and placing an unnecessary burden on citizens.

Government Ends Duplicate Road Charges

Speaking during the announcement, Minister Mhona said the Road Access Fee had become obsolete following the introduction of ZINARA tollgates across Zimbabwe's road network.

"Since last year, Cabinet has considered and approved the review of fees charged by the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR), Road Motor Transportation (RMT) and the Vehicle Inspectorate Department (VID), with particular emphasis on removing unjustifiable, duplicative or overlapping charges," Mhona said.

He added that the Ministry had completed a rationalisation of transport-related fees.

"Pursuant to this directive, the Ministry has successfully rationalised all fees charged by the above-mentioned departments, including the removal of regulatory requirements and permit charges that duplicated functions."

Road Access Fee Introduced Before Tollgates

The Road Access Fee was introduced in 2009, before Zimbabwe established its nationwide tollgate system. Initially, the levy applied to foreign-registered vehicles entering Zimbabwe and was charged at US$10 per entry at border posts to help finance road maintenance.

However, after ZINARA expanded tollgate collections across the country's major highways, transport operators argued that motorists were effectively paying twice for the same purpose.

Mhona acknowledged the concern.

"The Road Access Fee became duplicative, resulting in motorists being charged twice for the same service. This duplication imposed unnecessary financial and administrative burdens on transport operators and the travelling public."

Part of Ease of Doing Business Reforms

The abolition of the Road Access Fee forms part of the Government's broader programme to improve Zimbabwe's investment climate by reducing unnecessary regulatory costs. Authorities say the review has also covered fees administered by the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR), Road Motor Transportation (RMT) and the Vehicle Inspectorate Department (VID). The reforms are intended to simplify compliance requirements while lowering operating costs for businesses and individual motorists.

Other Vehicle Charges Remain

Despite the removal of the Road Access Fee, motorists will still be required to pay other statutory charges associated with vehicle ownership and road use.

These include:

ZINARA toll fees
Third-party motor vehicle insurance
Carbon tax, where applicable
Other statutory licensing and registration fees administered by relevant government departments.

The Government says the latest reform is expected to reduce transport costs and eliminate duplicate charges while maintaining funding for road maintenance through the existing tollgate system.