Ethio Telecom, toll roads agency launch digital toll payment system using telebirr

Mintesinot Nigussie

Drivers using Ethiopia’s main expressway between Addis Ababa and Adama can now pay toll fees digitally and pass through gates without stopping. Ethio Telecom and the Ethiopian Toll Roads Enterprise have launched a new automated payment system powered by telebirr.

The system allows vehicles fitted with electronic tags to be identified automatically at toll gates. Payments are deducted directly from a driver’s telebirr account, removing the need for cash transactions or manual processing.

The rollout covers the Addis Ababa to Adama Expressway, one of the country’s busiest transport corridors where congestion at toll stations has long been a bottleneck for traffic flow.

At the centre of the system is a new digital service integrated into telebirr, which allows users to link their vehicle details, top up toll accounts, and manage multiple vehicles through a single interface.

Officials said the platform replaces earlier manual processes that relied on cash handling and offline record keeping, which often slowed operations and increased the risk of errors and delays.

With the new system, toll gates automatically detect a vehicle as it approaches, trigger an instant deduction from the linked account, and open access without requiring the driver to stop.

Beyond toll payments, the platform also processes road-related service fees and traffic penalties, including charges linked to violations such as overweight vehicles or unauthorised use of expressway sections.

The initiative forms part of Ethiopia’s wider push to digitise public services and expand the use of mobile money in transport infrastructure, positioning telebirr as a central platform in the country’s growing digital payments ecosystem.

Businesses in logistics and transport are expected to benefit from faster movement and reduced delays on one of Ethiopia’s key economic corridors.