<<Print>>

As part of measures to rake in more revenue for the construction and rehabilitation of existing roads, governments over the years introduced the tolling system.

The tolling of most of the express and highways across the country was intended to generate revenue to feed the Ghana Road Fund.
Central government depends on the Road Fund, Consolidated Fund and donor support to either construct new roads or rehabilitate existing ones.

Due to the huge burden on the central government’s budget, funds meant for the road sector has become a problem.

It was for this and many other reasons that gave birth to the introduction of tollbooths across the country, particularly on some selected newly constructed or rehabilitated roads. The rationale behind the tolling of roads was to generate revenue for the continual rehabilitation of the roads and also the construction of new ones.

However, evidence abound that most of the monies collected at the various toll points are lost through pilfering. Even with the introduction of the automated tolling system to check fraud, operators have developed other sophisticated means to rob the country of funds that could have gone to government chest.

Despite the revenue generated daily following the increment of toll fees under the Mills government, road users have had to bear the brunt of stressful traffic congestions, particularly at tollbooths between Mallam- Kasoa, Accra-Nasawam, Accra-Tema, Madina-Aburi and other places.

On the Accra-Tema Motorway for instance traffic could build-up from the tollbooth and spill over into the Tetteh-Quarshie Roundabout. The story is no different on the Mallam-Kasoa stretch in the evening and early mornings, the same can be said about the Accra –Nsawam road.

This happens mainly because these tollbooths are positioned on the main routes to the capital city, Accra and those are roads that many people ply very often. The traffic congestion on those roads is gradually defeating the purpose for which those roads were expanded to contain traffic.

In order to create a “win-win” situation to ensure government generates revenue and at the same time roads users are spared the agony of being in traffic hours on end, The aL-hAJJ recommends the abolishing of all intra-city tollbooths.

In place of this, government through the Finance Ministry and the Roads and Highway Ministry should introduce special levies on goods and vehicles leaving the ports of Tema and Takoradi. It is our opinion that, if this is done properly, the government will generate more revenue than what is presently collected at the country’s tollbooths.

This will drastically ease traffic jams in and out of the nation’s capital which will also enhance easy movement of goods and service, and thereby increase productivity.