Government to reintroduce road and bridge tolls with modernised system

The Ministry of Roads and Highways has announced plans to reintroduce road and bridge tolls as part of efforts to generate revenue for road maintenance and infrastructure development.

In a statement issued on Thursday, February 6, 2025, the Ministry indicated that the new tolling system would be technologically driven and designed to enhance efficiency, transparency, and accountability.

“To this end, the Ministry is putting together the modalities for a modern, technologically-driven toll collection system,” the statement (below) read.

It further assured the public that the procurement process for the new system would be “open, transparent, competitive, cost-effective and fair.”

The decision aligns with earlier remarks by Roads and Highways Minister, Kwame Governs Agbodza, who, during his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on January 20, 2025, confirmed the return of road tolls under a new digitalised system.

“The road toll is coming back, but not in the form of building obstructions on the road,” Mr Agbodza stated. “It will be based on a technological platform that makes it fair, easy to collect, and easy to account for.”

He criticised the previous government’s suspension of toll collection, describing it as “an act of illegality” that bypassed established law.

The Minister also highlighted that road fund accruals had risen significantly, from GH¢250 million annually during the tenure of former Roads Minister Inusa Fuseni to over GH¢2 billion presently.

Addressing concerns about former toll booth workers, Mr Agbodza assured that the Ministry would explore opportunities to re-engage experienced personnel within the new system.

“If we can re-engage them in other sectors, we should be able to do that,” he said.

Ghana’s road infrastructure remains a pressing concern, with the Minister revealing that nearly half of the country’s estimated 100,000-kilometre road network requires urgent improvement.

He outlined plans for targeted interventions, particularly focusing on critical sections needing immediate attention before the rainy season.

“We need to take a holistic review of the road network and see what we can do to make quick interventions to those sections that are the worst,” Mr Agbodza noted.

The reintroduction of tolls is expected to play a crucial role in raising funds to address these road maintenance challenges.