Implementing automated road tolls in Ghana: Lessons from Dubai’s Salik System
Ghana’s road network is both a vital public good and a persistent policy challenge. With over 65,000 km of roads serving approximately 34 million people, road transport supports national commerce and daily mobility. However, only 23% of roads are paved, and financing their maintenance has long been a challenge.
Over the past 40 years, the country experimented with manual toll booths, replaced them with a controversial electronic transaction levy (E-Levy), and is now planning to reintroduce tolls using modern technology. This article explains why Ghana is shifting to automated tolling, draws lessons from Dubai’s successful Salik system and other international experiences, and offers policy recommendations.
Ghana’s road financing challenge
Maintaining a large network is expensive. Ghana’s 65,725 km road system includes 28,480 km of urban roads, but only 14,948 km are paved. Three-quarters of roads are gravel or dirt, making them difficult to navigate during rainy seasons. Despite a low vehicle ownership rate of 0.04 vehicles per person, road transport carries most passengers and freight. Poor surfaces raise vehicle operating costs, slow deliveries and contribute to accidents. Ghana suffers about 25 road deaths per 100,000 people each year, one of the highest rates in the region, which underscores the need for better pavement, lighting and signage. Maintaining roads also stimulates economic activity by linking farms to markets and people to services.
Financing this upkeep has been difficult. The Ghana Road Fund draws money from fuel levies, vehicle registration fees and, until 2021, tolls. The abolished manual tolls supplied only about GHS 78 million per year, enough to resurface a few hundred kilometres but far short of what maintenance requires. The Ministry of Roads estimates that keeping roads in good condition costs hundreds of millions of cedis annually. Without dedicated funding streams, maintenance projects are postponed, and roads deteriorate, imposing costs on the broader economy. The E Levy, though it raised GHS 1.19 billion in 2023, did not offset the loss of user fees and lacked a direct link to roads. Ghana, therefore, faces a dual challenge: secure sustainable financing and ensure drivers perceive value for money. Automated tolling ties payments directly to road use and offers a more efficient collection mechanism, presenting a potential solution.
Background: From Manual Tolls to a Digital Future
Ghana’s manual tolling legacy
Toll booths first appeared in 1985 to fund road maintenance. By the 2010s, they were ubiquitous on major highways, contributing about GHS 78 million (US$13 million) a year. Despite this modest inflow, manual tolling produced long queues, accidents at choke points and significant revenue leakages. Audit reports suggested much of the cash never made it into official accounts, undermining public confidence. The cost and inconvenience of stopping at booths outweighed the benefits, and by 2021, calls to modernise or abolish tolls grew louder.
The shortcomings of the manual system were multifaceted:
• Congestion and delays. High traffic corridors like the Accra–Tema Motorway routinely experienced kilometre-long queues as drivers slowed, paid and waited for change. These bottlenecks wasted time and fuel and sometimes caused accidents.
• Inefficient collection. Handling cash slowed throughput, and attendants could process only a limited number of vehicles per minute. Long lines formed even on roads with plenty of physical capacity.
• Revenue leakages and corruption. Cash handling encouraged pilferage. Auditors found that large sums never reached the Road Fund, fuelling public distrust.
• Low revenue yield. Charging just a few cedis per vehicle meant that total receipts remained small relative to maintenance needs. Staffing and maintaining booths further reduced net proceeds.
• Safety and environmental costs. Stopping and starting increased collision risk and emissions, especially where lines of idling trucks stretched for kilometres. Workers at booths were exposed to exhaust fumes and traffic hazards.
Abolition and the E Levy experiment
In November 2021, the government abolished all tolls, arguing that stopping at booths caused congestion and enabled corruption. To fill the revenue gap, it introduced the Electronic Transfer Levy (E Levy) on mobile money and other digital transactions. Many citizens saw this as regressive because it taxed everyday financial activity without linking payment to road use. The levy performed below expectations: the Construction Chamber estimated Ghana lost around GHS 1 billion (US$80 million) per year in toll revenue by eliminating the booths. A Business & Financial Times report notes the E Levy raised GHS 1.19 billion in 2023, just above its target. But this sum did not compensate for the loss of dedicated road funding, and debate over the levy’s fairness persisted.
Meanwhile, Ghana’s roads continued to deteriorate, and road safety is poor: an average of 7,510 deaths per year, or 25 per 100,000 population, occurred between 2015 and 2019. The Ghana Road Fund, deprived of toll income, struggled to repair potholes or expand highways.
Policy reversal: returning to tolling with technology
By 2024, the government conceded that a user-pay mechanism was still necessary. Cabinet and Parliament approved the reintroduction of tolls, but in electronic form. The Minister of Roads and Highways pledged that tolling would occur only on “engineered” roads – well-maintained highways – and that vehicles would no longer stop at booths. Instead, automatic gantries would register vehicles and deduct fees from digital accounts. At least 12 firms have bid for the concession, signalling private sector interest. The goal is to use public-private partnerships to build and operate the system in exchange for a share of revenues.
Political context and digital infrastructure
The decision to reintroduce tolls through an electronic system is also bound up with Ghana’s evolving digital governance. The previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration established foundational digital infrastructure, including the Ghana Card and a nationwide digital address system, and in 2024 got Cabinet approval to reintroduce tolls via a digital collection system.
An opinion piece by a former roads minister notes that the manual tolls were abolished not to abandon user pay financing but to prepare for this digital shift; reasons cited included the low revenue yield, severe congestion, high vehicle operating costs and pervasive revenue leakages. The NPP’s proposal moved through feasibility assessments and a public–private partnership framework, with an indigenous company selected as the initial concessionaire. This process was interrupted by the change in administration but underscores that the concept of electronic tolling predated the current government.
Current leaders are building on that groundwork. President Mahama has argued that Ghana’s strong digital ID system, mobile money adoption and electronic vehicle registration make the shift to cashless tolling both practical and inevitable. By linking toll accounts to Ghana Cards and digital addresses, authorities can ensure accurate billing and reduce fraud. This political continuity, recognising and extending previous digital reforms, should help depoliticise the toll issue and focus debate on implementation details rather than the principle of user-pay financing.
The New Automated Tolling System
Design features, Timeline and Digital Integration
The Ministry of Roads and Highways envisions a barrier-free, cashless system. Vehicles will be identified through RFID tags or licence plate cameras and linked to prepaid or postpaid accounts. Gantries will detect cars at highway speed; no physical barriers will be erected. Only well-maintained “engineered” roads will be tolled, and early proposals call for a 1-cedi fee per trip. Enforcement will rely on automatic detection and fines for non-payment. The government aims to roll out the first e-tolls by late 2025 and has received bids from 12 consortia.
Pilot corridors such as the Accra–Tema Motorway are expected to go live first.
Recent demonstrations give a sense of what these new toll points will look like. The old Tema tollbooth has been retrofitted with electronic gates and surveillance systems, so vehicles simply pass through as sensors read their tags. Officials told CiTTi Magazine that the technology can process up to 30,000 vehicles per day, eliminating long queues.
One distinctive element of Ghana’s plan is its use of national digital identity. The government intends to link each vehicle’s registration to the owner’s Ghana Card, the national biometric ID, so toll charges can be billed automatically. At a May 2025 business forum, President Mahama explained that every car is already linked to its owner’s Ghana Card, eliminating the need for physical cards or toll booths. When a vehicle passes under a gantry, cameras capture its plate and bill 1 cedi to the owner’s account via mobile money or bank deduction. This approach leverages Ghana’s burgeoning digital payments ecosystem and reduces friction for drivers. According to Mahama, the system “just [goes] straight to digitalise” tolling, using existing ID and payment infrastructure to ensure the right person pays.
Procurement and prequalification process
Implementing such a system requires credible partners. During the Government Accountability Series on 30 July 2025, Roads Minister Governs Kwame Agbodza detailed how the ministry invited private firms to participate. A public advertisement was issued, and a prequalification conference was held on 3 July 2025, after which 12 companies submitted applications. These bids are currently being evaluated, and a preferred concessionaire will be selected to install and operate the system. Agbodza also disclosed that proposed toll rates have been submitted to Parliament. He reiterated that all tolling will be done electronically with no physical barriers, and that only roads which have been “engineered” or rehabilitated to an acceptable standard will be subject to fees. The involvement of twelve bidders suggests investor confidence in the project and will allow Ghana to negotiate favourable terms and bring in international expertise.
Public concerns and policy responses
Scepticism remains after the 2021 abolition and the unpopular E Levy. Civil society groups want assurance that toll revenue will be ring-fenced for road maintenance and publicly reported. The ministry has emphasised transparency and auditability. Clear communication on pricing, exemptions, and privacy protection will be critical to winning public trust. Engaging transport unions and local communities in the planning process can help tailor the system to user needs.
Equally important is addressing privacy and digital inclusion. Some drivers worry that linking toll accounts to national IDs could allow the state to track their movements. Authorities must clarify that location data will be used only for billing and planning, not surveillance, and adopt robust data protection measures. Others fear that people without smartphones or bank accounts could be excluded. Ghana’s high mobile money penetration makes digital billing feasible, but physical payment points (such as roadside vendors or banks) should remain available for those who prefer cash. Experts interviewed by Onua Online stress that the move to automation aims to enhance transparency and auditability and improve user experience at toll points. For the system to gain legitimacy, the government should publish regular reports detailing collections and expenditures and commit to using proceeds for road maintenance and safety initiatives.
By proactively addressing these concerns, policymakers can build a broad coalition of support for the new toll regime.
Lessons from Dubai’s Salik System
Dubai’s Salik system, launched in 2007, has become a global benchmark for free-flow tolling. Its experience offers several lessons for Ghana.
Implementation, pricing and revenue
Salik began with two toll gates and gradually expanded to ten. Vehicles carry RFID tags; tolls are deducted automatically at highway speed. The system charges a flat fee of about AED 4 (≈US$1) per passage. Although simple, this pricing reduced congestion and raised substantial revenue – about AED 1.9 billion (US$520 million) annually. Enforcement is strict: drivers without sufficient balance incur fines and cannot renew vehicle registration until they settle their debts.
Invest in robust technology and infrastructure
One clear factor in Salik’s success is the reliability of its technology: the RFID tag detection, cameras, and billing software work seamlessly with minimal errors. Users rarely complain about incorrect charges or technical glitches. Ghana must ensure that the chosen toll technology is of high quality and suitably customised for local conditions. This means selecting vendors with a proven track record in electronic toll collection and establishing a solid IT backbone.
Public acceptance and lessons
Dubai initially faced resistance, but the Roads and Transport Authority ran campaigns explaining that tolls would ease traffic and fund improvements. Emergency vehicles and buses were exempt, and a daily cap limited charges. Over time, smoother journeys and visible investments built support. Ghana can draw three key lessons: start with pilots and scale gradually, invest in robust technology to avoid errors, and communicate transparently about where the money goes. Providing exemptions and caps can help address equity concerns. Enforcement must be fair and linked to vehicle registration to deter evasion.
Enforcement and fair penalties
Automation makes it easier to enforce compliance, but enforcement policies must be clearly defined and fairly applied. In Dubai, the success of Salik owes much to strict but sensible enforcement. Drivers knew that if they didn’t pay, fines were unavoidable and accumulating. Ghana should institute a robust enforcement regime from the start. Every vehicle should ideally be required to register for the toll system (perhaps at the time of vehicle registration renewal, a toll tag is issued). If a vehicle passes through an electronic toll point without paying (e.g., no tag or no balance), the system should record the violation, and the owner should receive a notification of a fine or outstanding toll fee. Integration with the national vehicle database will allow the system to find violators. Critically, laws and regulations may need updating to empower the relevant authority (e.g., the Road Ministry or a Toll Authority) to levy fines and link them to vehicle owners.
Other African models
Ghana is not alone in modernising tolling. Other African countries provide instructive case studies.
South Africa
The Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project around Johannesburg and Pretoria introduced e tolls but faced strong resistance over cost and consultation. Discounts for frequent users and improved communication helped, showing that transparent engagement can turn scepticism into compliance.
Nigeria
The Lekki–Epe Expressway was developed through a private concession. Although the road improved travel conditions, high tolls and limited alternatives sparked protests, prompting the Lagos government to buy back the concession. Ghana should ensure fair pricing and public accountability in any PPP arrangement.
Uganda and Kenya
Uganda’s Kampala–Entebbe Expressway adopted electronic tolls; initial public backlash subsided after revenues were transparently reinvested in road improvements. Kenya’s experience with manual tolls, followed by a fuel levy, underscores how corruption and lack of transparency can doom tolling. These cases reinforce the importance of clear communication and good governance.
Global trends in electronic tolling
Electronic toll collection is not unique to Ghana. Around the world, digital tolls have become mainstream as governments seek to reduce congestion, increase revenue and integrate transportation data. A Grand View Research study estimates that the global electronic toll collection (ETC) market was worth about US$9.45 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach US$21.50 billion by 2033, implying a compound annual growth rate of 9.7 %. Asia Pacific currently accounts for 36.7 % of the market, reflecting rapid adoption of e-tolling in China, India and Singapore, while North America’s long-established systems handle billions of transactions every year. Governments cite multiple benefits: less queuing reduces fuel consumption and emissions; cashless payments cut leakage; and real-time data supports congestion pricing and transport planning. Ghana’s move to e-tolls, therefore, aligns with a global shift toward smart mobility and digital public finance.
In many countries, toll systems are integrated with broader smart city initiatives. Singapore’s Electronic Road Pricing uses dynamic pricing to manage traffic at peak times, while London’s congestion charge leverages licence plate cameras to discourage car travel in the central area. European countries like Norway and Italy have long used RFID tags for motorway tolls. The trend is toward interoperability and cross-border compatibility, enabling drivers to use one device on multiple networks. As Ghana designs its system, it can consider future integration with neighbouring countries’ corridors, such as the Abidjan–Lagos highway, to support regional trade.
Policy recommendations
To realise the benefits of e-tolls, Ghana should:
1. Pilot first and scale gradually. Test the system on one or two busy corridors, collect data on performance and make adjustments before expansion.
2. Update laws and contracts. Authorise electronic tolling, clarify the obligations of motorists, and embed privacy and data protection rules. Any concession agreement should specify performance standards and revenue-sharing arrangements.
3. Set fair prices. Adopt moderate tolls with differentiated rates by vehicle class. Consider daily caps and discounts for frequent users. Ensure that heavy trucks pay more due to greater road wear.
4. Simplify registration and payment. Distribute tags widely, allow activation through simple channels and integrate mobile money and bank payments. Provide options for occasional users.
5. Educate and consult the public. Communicate clearly about how the system works and how revenues will be used. Engage transport unions and community groups to identify concerns and adapt policies.
6. Enforce compliance fairly. Link toll accounts to vehicle registration; issue fines after a grace period for insufficient balances; use reasonable penalties to deter evasion without being punitive.
7. Ensure transparency. Publish regular reports on toll collections and spending; allow independent audits; and use digital dashboards to show where funds go. Ring fence revenue for road maintenance and safety projects.
8. Address equity. Exempt emergency services and public buses; consider discounts or caps for low-income commuters. Avoid a long list of exemptions that could erode revenue.
9. Integrate with transport policy. Channel some toll revenue to public transport, feeder roads and traffic management systems. Plan for interoperability with regional corridors.
10. Maintain political consistency. Build bipartisan support and resist abrupt policy reversals. Treat road tolling as a long-term strategy rather than a short-term experiment.
11. Leverage digital identity and payments. Use Ghana’s existing digital infrastructure, especially the Ghana Card, digital address system and mobile money platforms to link each vehicle and driver to a unique account. This will streamline billing, facilitate enforcement and encourage uptake. Integrating the toll system with national ID databases also enhances security and curbs fraud.
Conclusion
Ghana’s decision to adopt automated road tolling marks a significant shift in transport policy, offering great potential for tackling infrastructure issues. By phasing out outdated toll booths and embracing technology, the country aims to generate essential funds for road maintenance while reducing the congestion that previously troubled toll plazas. The history of toll removal and reintroduction reflects a learning process: Ghana initially sought to ease traffic and curb corruption by removing tolls but realised that sustainable road financing cannot be dismissed. Now, with insights from global examples like Dubai’s Salik system, Ghana can implement a more intelligent toll solution that avoids past mistakes.
The Salik case study demonstrates that with careful planning, an electronic toll can indeed keep traffic flowing, significantly boost revenue, and gain public acceptance as long as the system is fair, efficient, and its benefits are transparent to users. Key takeaways such as phased implementation, solid IT infrastructure, strong public outreach, and strict enforcement will be critical in the Ghanaian context. The challenges ahead should not be underestimated: public scepticism, technical hurdles, and coordination complexities will need diligent management. Yet, the upside is clear. If done correctly, automated tolling can transform Ghana’s road network – making highway travel faster and safer and creating a steady funding stream to fix and expand roads without over-reliance on foreign loans or general taxes.
For policymakers, the charge is to ensure that the policy framework, procurement, and execution of the e-toll project are handled with professionalism and integrity. For the public, especially road users, the message is that this system is being designed to serve them better – less time in traffic, better roads to drive on, and a more accountable way to pay for the roads. Over time, as trust is built, automated tolling can become a normal part of road use in Ghana, much like it has in several advanced and peer nations.
Furthermore, shifting to cashless tolling has environmental and safety benefits. Vehicles no longer idle in long queues, which reduces fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, and removing physical barriers eliminates collision risks at toll plazas. These outcomes, though less visible than revenue figures, contribute to Ghana’s climate commitments and improve air quality for communities living near highways. As part of a broader digital transformation, e-tolls signal how the country can harness technology to deliver public services efficiently and sustainably.
In sum, automated tolling is not just about technology; it is about good governance, user-centric service delivery, and sustainable financing. By learning from others and tailoring those lessons to local realities, Ghana can ensure that the return of road tolls in automated form becomes a success story: one where policy vision translates into tangible improvements in daily commutes and national development. The road ahead, literally and figuratively, now depends on wise implementation and the continued partnership between government and the public to keep Ghana moving forward.
The author is Eugene O. Aryeetey, CEO and Founder of Zentech IT Solutions. Email: eugene@zentechgh.com
