The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) says it has no problem with the reintroduction of road tolls.
However, the union’s Head of Communications, Abbas Ibrahim Moro, said they will only comply on condition that the money generated will be used for the right purpose.
According to him, many roads are still in deplorable states which leaves him baffled about where exactly the revenue has been channeled.
He added that most times the roads in residential areas which do not need much enhancement are tackled more than the very bad roads in other areas.
“The 50 pesewas will be okay if we’re being communicated well, we’re being educated on it well, we’re being assured that the money is going to be put to good use for the benefit of all of us, not asphalting only residential areas alone, then why not?,” he quizzed.
Speaking on Joy Prime’s Prime Morning, he mentioned that since the tolls were scrapped in late 2021, not much improvement has been seen on the roads.
“Some of the roads have been attended to not all, and I’m saying that the possibility that the contract has already been given out is also there,” he said.
The GPRTU spokesperson also said he is baffled at how some people are saying that the increment is too small because the total revenue generated in previous times was enough to do so much on the roads yet nothing has been done so how do they call for high increment.
“We never condemned the 50 pesewas until one guy said yesterday that the 50 pesewas was too small, I wish we could have him on the show, for him if he takes single spine salary, we don’t take, so he should think at his position for Ghanaians, he shouldn’t think for himself alone,” Mr Moro mentioned.
Drivers are bracing themselves for the re-introduction of road tolls on Ghana’s roads. The levy was abolished in November 2021 as part of what the Finance Minister says was an effort to reduce traffic flow and enhance productivity.
Barely two years down the line, the Minister has made a U-turn. Ken Ofori-Atta is back in Parliament with another proposal seeking to bring back the tax, this time at a more expensive rate.