The removal of toll booths and cancellation of toll levies on public roads and bridges in Ghana has received a mixed bag of feelings in Ghana, with some citizens supporting the directive while others have vehemently opposed it.
The government has proposed to abolish all road toll. The proposal is contained in the 2022 budget presented to Parliament by the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta. The minister said the proposal is to enhance productivity and reduce environmental pollution, reducing the heavy traffic that toll booths cause nationwide.
Portions of the budget presented to parliament read; “That is why for decades, government after the government imposed and maintained tolls on some public roads to raise funds for road construction and maintenance. This is the situation in many countries.”
“However, over the years, the tolling points have become unhealthy market centers, led to heavy traffic on our roads, lengthened travel time from one place to another, and impacted negatively on productivity. The congestion generated at the tolling points, besides creating these inconveniences, also leads to pollution in and around those vicinities.
“To address these challenges, Government has abolished all tolls on public roads and bridges. This takes effect immediately the Budget is approved. The toll collection personnel will be reassigned.”
Editor of the Informer Newspaper, Andy Kankam who is part of the latter group believes government must reassess the situation as the revenue generated from toll levies are important to the infrastructural development of the country.
Championing the need for government to reconsider its decision, he submitted, “We need the revenue from toll booths to maintain our roads and also construct new ones. The fact that you are introducing the e-Levy doesn’t mean you should do away with the revenue generated at the toll booths.”
In the Editors’ Take edition of the Happy Morning Show, the newsman finds it confusing for the government to propose the abolishment of toll booths, especially as the economy have been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We all agree COVID-19 has impacted global economies and I think even the West is now recouping from the effects of the pandemic. So if we admit the pandemic has impacted our economy then why do we want to abolish toll booths and lose the little we get from them?
The gov’t should reconsider its decision. I think the toll booths shouldn’t have been abolished. The idea was not thought through and the use of the traffic jam excuse is untenable and the gov’t should credit us with some level of intelligence.”
