Parliament has approved a concession agreement between the Ministry of Roads and Highways and a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to be incorporated by Rock Africa Limited for the reintroduction of road and bridge tolls through a modern electronic tolling system under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
The agreement paves the way for private sector participation in financing, developing, operating and maintaining an electronic road toll collection system nationwide, marking the return of road tolls following their abolition in 2021.
The approval came after Parliament debated the report of the Roads and Transportation Committee, with Members of Parliament expressing varying views on the reintroduction of tolls and the proposed concession arrangement.
During the debate, former Defence Minister and Member of Parliament for Bimbilla, defended the previous government’s decision to abolish road tolls, saying it was taken in response to prevailing economic conditions.
According to him, the Akufo-Addo administration sought to ease the financial burden on Ghanaians at a time when the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy) was being introduced, while also addressing the congestion caused by manual toll collection.
“The second reason, Mr. Speaker, is that we abolished the road tolls for one simple reason. We did not want to burden Ghanaians with both the e-levy and the road tolls. Basically, that was the reason,” Mr. Nitiwul explained.
Despite defending the earlier decision, the Bimbilla MP endorsed the proposed electronic tolling system, saying it represents a more efficient and convenient approach to revenue collection.
“If the government decides that they will bring the road tolls, but it will be electronic, like what I have seen in South Africa, I think that I will support it,” he said.
Mr. Nitiwul noted that an electronic system would eliminate long queues at toll booths, improve traffic flow and simplify payments for motorists.
“If it’s electronic and it’s 20 years, I think it’s a good deal that Ghanaians should take. Because you will not even realise that there are road tolls. You pass, there will be a beep, and then you go; at the end of the month, they bring you a bill, and then you pay,” he stated.
He urged Members of Parliament to support the concession agreement, arguing that the electronic tolling system would provide a sustainable and efficient mechanism for financing the country’s road infrastructure while improving the experience of road users.
Source: expressnewsghana.com