According to the Ministry of Roads and Highways, security officers will remain on duty at all thirty-eight tollbooth locations across the country.
Although toll collection has been suspended, the ministry claims the move is necessary to maintain sanity at the various tollbooth locations across the country.
This follows public outcry that some of the booths are being destroyed by heavy duty vehicles whose drivers run into the cubicles.
In an interview with Citi News, sector minister Kwasi Amoako-Attah stated that the booths will be protected and put to use as soon as possible.
“All the 38 centres will continue to have security officers. We have not abandoned them. They are our assets and we are going to put them to good use for the good people of the country.”
The Minister’s remarks come shortly after he was widely chastised for claiming that tollbooths would be converted into motorist washrooms.
Cessation of collection of tolls
The Ministry of Roads and Highways had directed that toll collection on all public roads and bridges across the country cease on Thursday, November 18, 2021.
The directive came after the Finance Ministry announced the elimination of tolls on all public roads.
Toll revenues are deposited into Road Funds and are intended to be used to maintain public roads.
However, the government claimed that the tollbooths had become a nuisance and had to be removed.
Meanwhile, it was later revealed that the government expects the proposed Electronic Transaction Levy to cover the funds lost due to road toll collection.
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SOURCE: CITINEWS