The government has made a bold proposal to abolish all road tolls, to be started from this year.
Presenting the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy Statement to Parliament on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, said the proposal was to enhance productivity and reduce environmental pollution.
It is also meant to reduce the heavy traffic that road tolls are found to cause nationwide, he said.
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“Mr Speaker, our roads need fixing. Our roads are being fixed. It is true that more roads have been fixed and are being fixed over the last five years than any relative period in the entire history of our nation. We even want to do a lot more and this budget will cater for this,” Mr Ofori-Atta said.
“That is why for decades, government after government imposed and maintained tolls on some public roads to raise funds for road construction and maintenance. This is the situation in many countries.
“However, over the years, the tolling points have become unhealthy market centres, led to heavy traffic on our roads, lengthened travel time from one place to another, and impacted negatively on productivity. The congestion generated at the tolling points, besides creating these inconveniences, also leads to pollution in and around those vicinities.
“To address these challenges, the government has abolished all tolls on public roads and bridges. This takes effect immediately the Budget is approved (after appropriation or now?). The toll collection personnel will be reassigned. The expected impact on productivity and reduced environmental pollution will more than off-set the revenue forgone by removing the tolls,” Mr Ofori-Atta said.
The toll collection personnel will be re-assigned.