Accra, Feb 6, GNA – The Ministry of Roads and Highways says the Government intends to reintroduce road and bridge tolls to generate revenue for road maintenance and related matters.
To this end, the Ministry was putting together the modalities for a modern, technologically driven
toll collection system, a statement signed by Mr Nasir Ahmad Yartey, Head, Public Relations Unit at the Ministry, said on Thursday.
The Ministry assured that it was committed to introducing a modernized system that addressed the current tolling and road maintenance funding challenges of the country.
“To achieve this objective, the Ministry will employ an open, transparent, competitive, cost-effective and fair procurement process”, the statement said.
Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza, the Minister for Roads and Highways, speaking during his vetting in Parliament, criticised the previous government’s decision to abolish road tolls, describing it as an “illegal act.”
He also revealed that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) members on the Roads and Transport Committee of Parliament had cautioned against the policy before its announcement.
Meanwhile, Mr. Francis Asenso-Boakye, the former Minister of Roads and Highways, disclosed in March 2022 that the ministry had commenced talks with stakeholders about restoring road toll collecting in the country.
He said that if tolls were to be brought back, they would be digitized and automated.
The former Roads Minister disclosed the plan during an inspection of the state of deterioration of some sections of the Accra-Kumasi Highway at Dadieso in the Asante Akim South Municipality of the Ashanti Region.
The road and bridge tolls were abolished in December, 2022 in a move intended to facilitate movement, increase productivity and reduce environmental pollution.
Mr Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta, the then Minister of Finance, announcing the abolishment of all tolls on public roads and bridges when delivering the 2022 budget in Parliament said, “…over the years, the tolling points have become unhealthy market centres, led to heavy traffic on our roads, lengthened travel time from one place to another, and impacted negatively on productivity”.
GNA