It is known that the Government of Ethiopia is undertaking vast and numerous developmental programs to achieve the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP) series laid out for the holistic renaissance of the country. The Addis Ababa – Adama Expressway (AAE) is one of the construction mega projects developed as part of GTP-I which is open for traffic and administered by the Ethiopian Toll Roads Enterprise. Other expressways (Modjo-Hawassa and Adama-Awash) are underway and many more are planned for future development and operation in line with the dynamic socio-economic development of Ethiopia.
ETRE’s prepaid card tolling service represents a forward-thinking approach to toll payment. This system allows frequent users of the toll roads to pay for their tolls in advance, either for one month or three months. This prepayment system is designed to offer several key benefits.
For users, the primary advantage is the time saved by not having to stop and pay tolls at each booth, which significantly reduces congestion and improves the overall flow of traffic. This convenience is particularly beneficial during peak travel times when toll booths can become bottlenecks. Moreover, the prepaid system introduces financial incentives: a one-month prepaid card comes with a 5% discount, while a three-month prepaid card offers a 10% discount. These discounts make the prepaid option an attractive choice, encouraging more users to switch from the pay-as-you-go method to the prepaid system.
From an operational perspective, the prepaid card system enhances efficiency in toll collection and management. It reduces the administrative burden of handling cash transactions and shortens queues at toll plazas, thus improving the user experience and operational efficiency.