Cabinet Approves Reintroduction of Road Tolls with a Modern Electronic System – Roads Minister

Cabinet has approved the reintroduction of road and bridge tolls with a modern electronic system that will operate without physical barriers on roads.

Speaking during the government accountability series on Wednesday, the Minister for Roads and Highways, Mr Governs Kwame Agbodza, disclosed that the new tolling regime will focus exclusively on engineered roads, meaning “roads that have been fixed” rather than rough or unmaintained surfaces.

He stated that the electronic platform would eliminate the traditional toll booth system that previously caused traffic congestion.

According to the minister, Cabinet’s approval comes as part of efforts “to improve the maintenance regime” for Ghana’s road network.

He explained that the automated tolling system aims to enhance transparency and auditability of revenue inflows, improve user experience, and reduce congestion at toll points.

Mr Agbodza revealed that the ministry has already launched a concessionaire pre-qualification process, with public advertisements completed and a pre-qualification conference held on July 3, 2025.

He stated that twelve firms have submitted applications currently under evaluation for the electronic tolling implementation.

The minister disclosed that the proposed new toll rates have been submitted to Parliament through the Ministry of Finance to determine charging structures when the system becomes operational.

He emphasized that the electronic approach represents a complete departure from previous tolling methods that created bottlenecks on major highways.

According to Agbodza, the decision to reintroduce tolls addresses the financial gap created when the previous administration unilaterally decided to zero the collection of road tolls, while attempting to implement the electronic levy.

The minister positioned the tolling system as part of the government’s “reset” agenda for road infrastructure, stating that revenue generated will fund road maintenance and enable new construction projects.

“The tolling will only apply to roads where the government has made engineering interventions, ensuring users pay for quality infrastructure,” he added.

He emphasized that the electronic system will operate seamlessly without requiring vehicles to stop, addressing previous concerns about traffic delays at toll points.

He stated that the automated collection will provide better tracking of revenue flows and eliminate opportunities for revenue leakage that characterized manual collection systems.

The minister noted that the tolling reintroduction fulfils a manifesto promise made during the 2024 election campaign, where the National Democratic Congress committed to restoring road tolls as a sustainable financing mechanism for infrastructure maintenance.

According to him, the timing of the tolling system implementation will coincide with the government’s “Big Push” road projects, which will create more engineered roads eligible for tolling.

Richard Aniagyei, ISD