Kwesi Amoako-Atta, Minister for Roads and Highways, has stated that when the road toll is reintroduced in 2023, it would no longer be collected by human beings.
According to Mr. Amoako-Atta, road tolls would be collected electronically.
“We are going to build modern expressway which will come with tolling facilities but those tolling facilities will be electronic tolling facility…
if it has to come, it will be done electronically,” he said.
He asked road users to be willing to pay more for tolls in order for the government to construct sufficiently decent roads.
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“The whole year, we were getting an average of GH₵78 million depending upon the ground condition, that amount of money cannot even build 10km of road. We were paying the lowest toll in the whole world. Meanwhile, we want excellent and good roads in our country.
“We want good things, we must be prepared to pay for more. We will no longer be paying the 50 pesewas and ₵1.”
In November 2021, the government announced the discontinuation of road toll collecting on all major roadways around the country.
A year later, the administration has reversed its decision to restore toll collecting.
One of the income strategies included in the 2023 budget proposed to Parliament by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is the return of the road toll.
“The fiscal policy measures to underpin the 2023 Budget for consideration and approval by Parliament include the reintroduction of tolls on selected public roads and highways with a renewed focus on leveraging technology in the collection to address the inefficiencies characterized by the previous toll collection regime,” paragraph 462 of the 2023 Budget statement reads.
Meanwhile, the Minority in Parliament has declared that they will only grant their complete support if the toll revenue is utilized purely for road maintenance.
SOURCE: myjoyonline
