The government is set to reintroduce road tolls following its abolition in 2021 under the erstwhile government.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) government first officially mentioned bringing back road tolls on January 13, 2025, during the vetting of Finance Minister-designate Dr Cassiel Ato Forson. He reaffirmed that reinstating tolls was part of the NDC’s 2024 manifesto promise.

One year after the mention of a reintroduction, it’s yet to be seen in effect raising questions from the Minority Caucus in Parliament.

Responding to the concerns of the Minority, the Roads and Transport Committee of Parliament, Chairman of the Committee and Member of Parliament for Wassa East, Isaac Adjei Mensah, revealed that the rollout of the road toll would begin in the last quarter of 2026.

He acknowledged the significance of the toll and the government’s move to restore a key source of revenue for road maintenance. The toll collection will no longer be manual but electronic.

“All feasibility studies and preparatory processes will soon be finalised,” he told the Parliamentary Press Corps, stressing that the rollout was on track.

He continued with a hit back at the Minority, noting that, “The Minority has no moral justification to criticise the pace of this policy,” he said.

Mr Adjei Mensah noted that before its abolition under the previous administration, road tolls generated about GH¢60 million monthly for the state.

He said the removal of the tolls created a significant revenue gap, weakening the country’s ability to fund road maintenance and infrastructure.

“Before its abolition by the previous administration, the road toll generated about GH¢60 million monthly for the state. The removal of the tolls created a significant revenue gap, weakening the country’s ability to fund road maintenance and infrastructure.”

The Committee also addressed concerns over road contracts awarded under the government’s “Big Push” infrastructure initiative, clarifying that only 44% of the 400 contracts were awarded through sole sourcing, with the remainder going through competitive bidding.

Other issues discussed included progress on the Boankra Inland Port project, the Mpakadan Railway System, plans to restructure the Road Fund into a Road Maintenance Trust Fund, and the part payment of GH¢107 billion in road arrears.

Mr Adjei Mensah said the electronic toll system would provide a sustainable and transparent mechanism for mobilising funds.

“This system will ensure efficiency in collection while restoring a reliable revenue stream for road infrastructure development,” he said.

Why was the toll abolished ?

Traffic congestion was one of the main reasons road tolls were abolished in Ghana. Long queues at toll booths slowed down movement significantly, creating delays for commuters and transport operators. The manual system of collection was inefficient and could not handle the growing volume of vehicles on the roads.

Another issue was inefficiency in the toll collection process. Manual handling of cash was prone to leakages and corruption, with revenue often not reflecting the actual number of vehicles passing through toll points. This undermined the purpose of tolls as a reliable source of funding for road maintenance.

Revenue mismanagement also raised concerns. There were questions about accountability and transparency in how toll funds were used. Many believed that the money collected was not being properly directed toward road infrastructure, which further weakened public trust in the system.

Social impact of the abolishment of tolls

One of the major effects of abolishing the tolls was unemployment, particularly among Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), many of whom were employed as toll booth operators and support staff.