The Ministry of Roads and Highways has declared its plan to involve key stakeholders in the process of reinstating road tolls, which were suspended in 2021.
Roads Minister Francis Asenso-Boakye stated that bringing back tolls is essential for raising the funds required to repair and maintain the country’s deteriorating road infrastructure.
The suspension of toll collection, which began on November 18, 2021, was initially aimed at reducing traffic congestion at toll booths and in anticipation of the e-levy.
This decision, however, received mixed feedback from the public.
Discussing the current initiative, the Roads Minister stressed the importance of reintroducing tolls to ensure funding for road upkeep.
“[Road] maintenance also means money. In many countries, they use the tolls that they collect from road tolls to finance maintenance.
“But in our case, we have suspended it, and I think it is a good time for us to start the discussion to bring these road tolls back and get money to maintain our roads,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of stakeholder engagement in this process, the minister added, “That is very important, and we have started the process by engaging the various stakeholders to get their buy-in to make sure that we bring the road tolls back.”