Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has called for an expansion of Ghana’s road tolling system to make it more inclusive and comprehensive.
This proposal follows the government’s 2022 budget decision to abolish road tolls, replacing them with the electronic transaction levy (E-Levy).
Former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta justified the abolition by citing congestion and traffic jams at toll booths.
However, in the midyear budget review, the government announced plans to reintroduce road tolls in 2025.
Speaking at the Ghana Highway Authority’s golden jubilee anniversary, Dr. Bawumia highlighted the inequalities in the current road tolling system.
He noted that, wealthier areas are often exempt from toll collection, while other regions face toll booths frequently.
He emphasized the need to broaden the system to cover all road users before its reintroduction.
“My view is that we need to think about broad-based tolling. The current architecture tends to exclude even the wealthier parts of the population. For instance, if I live in Cantonment, East Legon, or Ridge—high-end neighborhoods—I will not encounter a tollbooth.
“But if I live in Kasoa or elsewhere, I am likely to meet a tollbooth on the road. This inequity in tolling needs to be addressed, and we should look at broad-based tolling,” Dr Bawumia said.
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