Parliament has approved a 20-year Public-Private Partnership (PPP) concession to reintroduce road and bridge tolls through a fully electronic collection system, paving the way for the nationwide rollout of digital tolling infrastructure.
The concession, between the Ministry of Roads and Highways and a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to be established by Rock Africa Limited, is expected to generate sustainable funding for road development while eliminating the long queues and congestion associated with manual toll collection.
The approval followed the adoption of a report by Parliament’s Roads and Transportation Committee, with Members of Parliament debating the merits of restoring toll collection, which was suspended in November 2021.
Contributing to the debate, the Member of Parliament for Bimbilla and former Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, defended the previous government’s decision to abolish road tolls, saying it was intended to reduce the financial burden on motorists following the introduction of the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy).
“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,” he said.
Despite defending the earlier decision, Mr. Nitiwul endorsed the new electronic tolling system, arguing that digital technology would resolve many of the operational challenges associated with the former manual regime.
“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 stated.
He explained that motorists would no longer need to stop at toll booths, making travel smoother while improving convenience.
“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 added.
The concession provides the legal framework for private sector participation in financing, designing, operating and maintaining Ghana’s electronic tolling network.
Government believes the digital platform will improve operational efficiency, reduce revenue leakages and provide a reliable source of funding for the maintenance and expansion of the country’s road infrastructure while offering motorists a seamless toll payment experience.
