Cabinet approves toll points

Page 17, March 10, 2008
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

CABINET has given approval for tolls to be collected from vehicles which use eight stretches of roads and a bridge to ensure that more funds are raised for the maintenance of roads in the country, the Minister of State at the Ministry of Transportation has revealed.
The roads are, Adenta-Dodowa, Tema-Sogakope, Kpando-Worawora, Yamoransa-Takoradi, Abuakwa-Bibiani. Takoradi-Tarkwa, Nsawam-Ofankor, Nkawkaw-Anyinam and the Oti Damanko Bridge.
Mr Geofrey Bayon Tangu, who was answering an urgent question posed by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Oforikrom, Ms Elizabeth Agyeman, said 10 more stretches of roads which had currently been rehabilitated had also been earmarked for tolling.
They are Pantang-Manfe, Accra-Yamoransa, Apedwa-Anyinam, Sefwi-Bekwai-Bibiani, Nkawkaw-Konongo, Awaso-Bibiani-Gambia No 2, Cape Coast-Kumasi, Kumasi-Anwiankwanta, Bole-Wa, Kumasi-Offinso and Bawdie-Asankragwa.
Ms Agyeman had enquired from the minister whether it had plans to install toll booths on the many reconstructed roads in the country for the purpose of collecting revenue.
Mr Tangu told the House that one serious constraint that had affected roads in the country had been inadequate financial resources for maintenance.
He stated that efforts had been made to build a secure and dedicated source of funding for road maintenance through the enactment of the Ghana Road Fund Act, Act 536.
Mr Tangu explained that the present accruals of revenues of the Ghana Road Fund covered about 50 per cent of funding required for the desirable level of maintenance work of the country’s road network of 61,000 kilometres.
To address that problem, the ministry had proposed an amendment to the road tolls for approval by cabinet, adding that when that was done, the present contribution of the road and bridge tolls to the Ghana Road Fund would increase from its present 1.8 per cent to 5.06 per cent while that of the Road (Vehicle/User) Fees would increase from 1.5 to 2.33 per cent.
Tolling is the direct charge for the use of a specific road or bridge and this is done based on substantial improvement of the roadway and roads with reasonably high traffic volumes.
Currently, there are only 25 toll collection points on some selected roads and bridges throughout the country.