A member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport in Parliament is advocating for over 200 per cent increment in road tolls.
Engineer Kwadwo Aboagye Nyanpon, who is also the Member of Parliament for Biakoye Constituency in Oti Region, said saloon vehicles that are currently paying GH50p should be made to pay GH¢2 while those paying GH¢1 should be made to pay GH¢4.
The former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) made the call in an interview with Onua FM Friday.
The MP was sharing his thoughts on the deplorable nature of roads in Ghana and how these roads can be improved. “I was the CEO of Ghana Highway Authority in 2009 under the late former President [Atta] Mills when we increased the road tolls. Since then, prices of goods and services have gone up but the toll remains the same.”
The member of UK’s Institution of Civil Engineers said “the charges on road tolls are inadequate because in 2009 when it was increased to the current prices, the cedi to dollar was GH¢1.20 and now it’s over GH¢5”. Mr. Aboagye Nyanpon said “it should be increased again. It should be increased by 200% for those paying 50pesewas to pay 2.00 and those paying GHS1.00 now should pay GHS4.00”.
Lack of maintenance
The MP advised that anytime a road is constructed, “2% of total cost of that road should be set aside for maintenance annually” if the road will last. “If you don’t do that for five years, the amount that would be spent for maintenance would be more than double. It would be between 40% to 60% of the total cost of the road.”
Mr. Nyanpon said “lack of maintenance is the cause of our deplorable roads. We need to maintain them always instead of constructing new roads”.
Inadequate funds
Also a member of Ghana Institution of Engineers, Mr Nyanpon said successive governments did not allocate enough budgets for the road sector. “We need to allocate more money for the roads because the budget allocations for the sector in inadequate for both construction and maintenance.”
Source: 3news.com
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THIS MP LACKS MEMORY. I REMEMBER VERY WELL AT THE TIME THEY HATCHED THAT IDEA OF INCREASING THE TOOL TO THE CURRENT PRICE THEY MADE MENTION OF MAINTAING THE ROADS MUCH BETTER FOR GHANAIANS. WE GLADLY ACCEPTED THE IDEA AND STARTED PAYING. BUT SINCE THEN, GO AND SEE EVEN THE MOTORWAY. THE CRACKS AND BUMPS HAVE TRIPPLED. WHAT ARE THEY DOING WITH THE TOLL MONIES. PEOPLE ARE PAYING AND OTHERS ARE POCKETING THE MONIES FOR THEMSELVES, FAMILY AND FRIENDS. HOW MUCH SALARY WILL A WORKER TAKE HOME IF HE STAYS AT TSOPOLI OR DAWHENYA AND WORKING IN ACCRA (KORLE BU) AND HAS TO DRIVE HIS CAR THROUGH THE MOTORWAY EVERYDAY TO WORK AND BACK PAYING YOUR 200% INCREASE IN TOLL FARES? NO WONDER MOST WORKERS ARE EITHER STEALING FROM THEIR OFFICES OR ABSENTING THEMSELVES DUE TO SOME OF THESE COSTS INCLUDING PETROL (FUEL) AND HIGH COST OF MAINTENANCE ON THEIR CARS DUE TO BAD ROADS. I EVEN SUGGEST SOME PEOPLE STAYING IN SOM BAD PARTS OF ACCRA SUCH AS NEW ACHIMOTA, TEMA NEW TOWN KPONE AND PS GLOBAL BE EXEMPTED FROM PAYING TOLL FOR HIGH COST OF MAITENANCE ON THEIR CARS DUE TO BAD ROADS.
The MP had raised an important subject that must be discussed. We want development but we don't want to contribute anything. The are several things the government must do though. It's time we move away from passing only at the toll booth. As one of the comments above suggests through modernisation using Mobile Money, the banks etc. The funds should managed with good governance system. We surely need to relook at it.
Hon, how can you say this, it doesn't make sense to be in traffic for hours just to pay 0.50. My opinion is that it should be paid one in a month
Gborgborvo man!!!
good for nothing mp, all that he knows is increase, increase, you must be ashamed of yourself for saying this, if you are a man of integrity u should bow down your head in shame look at the road you are proposing for 200% increase are you a normal mp?
Coming from an ILLITERATE and INCOMPETENT MP who lacks creativity and innovation. No doubt he will come up with such ***barred word*** ideas of increasing tolls 200%. Assholes like him need to be forced to pay 1000% tolls for driving on our roads. ***barred word***!!!
MAY GOD FORGIVE HIS STUPEDIDY AND IGNORANCE. LOOK AT HIM HAS HE EVER PAID ANY TAX BEFORE?
These are the kinds of 1diots we have in that house called parliament. Increasing tolls by 200% on these horrible roads that are killing thousands of Ghanaians in a year is the only solution this m0ron could think of? If his constituents were literate and can read what he has proposed, they'll vote him out of that house. These MPs are such so waste! yet we spend so much tax monies paying them to live comfortably. DISGUSTING!
make u no mind him, now he uses our tax money to buy V8 and gets access to all girls he wants so he wants to bluff. ask him when last he paid toll himself
SOME OF YOU PEOPLE WHEN YOU GET TO THE TOP YOU FORGET WHERE YOU CAME FROM. MR MP, TELL US SPECIFICALLY WHAT THE TOLLS COLLECTED ARE USED FOR ?? IF THE PURPOSE OF THIS TOLLS IS STRICTLY ADHERED TO, I DON'T THINK THERE WILL BE SO MUCH COMPLAIN ABOUT THE BAD NATURE OF OUR ROADS