”We’ll hit the streets if you don’t re-employ us”- Former toll workers threaten

Former toll booth workers across the country have vowed to hit the streets should the road tolls be reintroduced without them getting re-employed.

Most of the workers who are persons with disabilities were promised redeployment after they were relieved of their jobs upon a directive by the Government in November 2021 to abolish the collection of tolls on roads and bridges in the country, however, the affected workers are yet to be reassigned over a year later.

Leader of the persons with disabilities toll workers, Rashad Mahammed Rahmat accused the government of neglect, breach of trust, and insensitivity, for kicking them out of dignified occupation.

“I am hoping that they open the tollbooth; ‘walahi’ I will go and lie down on the street if they don’t employ us so that I will create a scene for the world to see that the government is not trying to help. What the government promised is a political talk.”

“Life is very unbearable and because of that I have developed a stomach ulcer but I can’t go on the street to beg too. If not for God and the intervention of some people, I would have committed suicide,” he said on 3FM.

He appealed to the government to support persons with disabilities who were working at the toll booth with loans or grants to operate their own businesses and employ others.

“If we are empowered to establish our businesses to make a living and give a comfortable life for our families, I think we would not even worry about the road toll collection again.”

“We are telling the government and we know this is not beyond him. We are still at home, and most of us are crying, especially the women with children whom they are taking care of without husbands. The government has not given us anything and we are waiting for them to reopen the toll so we can go back and work. If not, they should create other avenues for us to work and feed our family,” he appealed.