We are now waiting on death – Toll hawkers lament

Hawkers around toll booths in the country say their source of livelihood has been crushed after the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta at the 2022 budget presentation revealed the elimination of tolling points on all public roads and bridges.

Hawkers around tolling points who have been operating at these areas for decades expressed sadness over government’s decision to implement this policy with engaging them.

Finance Minister of Ghana, Ken Ofori-Atta announced the elimination of toll booths on all public roads and bridges when presenting the 2022 budget to parliament. According to him, the inconveniences caused by traffic jams at tolling points also leads to pollution in and around vicinities these toll booths are situated and expected this directive to take effect upon parliamentary approval.

Following this announcement, however, Roads and Highways Minister Kwasi Amoako-Attah directed that toll collection at the various toll booths across the country must be halted effective Thursday, November 18, 2021.

In an interaction on the Epa Hoa Daben political talk show on Happy98.9FM, with a Hawker named Burger at the Kasao-Accra toll booth, she stated, “I have been selling here for over 18 years and the money I make from this point is what I have used to care for my children. If the toll booths are removed, I can do nothing but to wait on death.”

On her accord, it was wrong for this policy to be introduced abruptly “and we are disappointed at the President. We have been doing business at this tolling point for years and President Akufo-Addo cannot just make a decision in his 5 years of leading Ghana without giving us an alternative.”