SKOPJE (Macedonia), February 15 (SeeNews) – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said on Friday it is considering a sovereign-guaranteed loan of up to 13 million euro ($14.7 million) to North Macedonia’s public enterprise for state roads (PESR) to improve its highway toll system.
The loan will be used to improve and modernise the existing toll system on Corridor VIII as well as the install new electronic toll stations on new highway sections that are being built in North Macedonia, the EBRD said in a press release.
“The project is a follow-on operation of the previous bank's project for the construction and upgrade of eight toll stations along Corridor X, including installation of electronic toll collection equipment that is currently under implementation,” the bank added.
The total project cost amounts to 14.4 million euro, the statement noted.
The project intends to support the operation of a unified and fully interoperable toll system on the motorway network of North Macedonia, which will improve the current situation which consists of two different toll systems with different user interfaces.
“Promote green economy through the generation of renewable energy from photo voltaic solar panels to be installed on all 15 existing and new toll stations which is estimated to provide around 45% of the electrical power consumed by these toll stations and reduce PESR's electricity costs,” the statement noted.
($ = 0.88638 euro)