Hawkers at the Bechem and Tuobodom toll booths in the Ahafo and Bono East Regions are expressing optimism following the government’s announcement to reinstate bridge and road tolls in 2025. This decision marks a significant change after a three-year pause in toll collection on Ghana’s major highways.
The vendors, who had seen their livelihoods suffer due to the toll suspension, believe that the return of tolls will revitalize their businesses. Many hawkers who operate at the previously bustling toll booths along the Sunyani-Kumasi and Techiman-Tamale routes are hopeful that increased traffic will lead to higher sales.
For the past three years, these hawkers have faced challenges, struggling to maintain their income as the absence of toll booths reduced the number of vehicles stopping. Mercy Anima, a vendor at Bechem, reflected on the hardships endured since the tolls were abolished, calling the return of toll collection a welcome relief.
“With fewer vehicles stopping, our sales plummeted. The reinstatement of tolls means more drivers and passengers will stop, which is crucial for our sales,” she said.
Cecilia Afra, who sells vegetables at the Tuobodom toll booth and has been in business for over seven years, echoed similar sentiments.
“When the tolls were canceled, our sales dropped drastically because fewer vehicles were stopping. With the tolls back, more drivers and passengers will stop, and we can make good sales again”, she lamented.
She noted that the toll booth has always been vital for small traders like her, adding, “We rely on the drivers and passengers who stop here to buy our goods.
The absence of tolls made things challenging, but now we have renewed hope for our businesses.”
“We depend on the drivers and passengers who stop here to buy our goods. The absence of tolls made things difficult, but now we have hope that our businesses will thrive once more”, she disclosed.
However, some hawkers expressed skepticism regarding the timing of the tolls’ return, suggesting it might be a political maneuver ahead of the upcoming elections.
“It feels like the government is only doing this to win votes because why now, right before the elections? It seems like part of their usual political games”, some of the hawkers questioned.
As the government prepares to reintroduce road tolls next year, significant renovations will be required for the Bechem and Tuobodom toll booths.
Currently, both structures are in a dilapidated state, showing signs of neglect over the past three years, with rust, peeling paint, and broken windows. Once lively hubs, they now sit abandoned, cloaked in cobwebs and debris.