Road tolls with an electronic payment system designed to improve efficiency and boost revenue generation for road maintenance across major highways in the country are to be introduced by the government.
In line with that, proposed new toll rates have been submitted to Parliament for approval in accordance with the law.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series in Accra yesterday, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, said the system would replace cash transactions at tollbooths with digital payment options, including mobile money and electronic card transactions.
"The electronic toll collection system represents a major leap forward in our efforts to modernise the country's road infrastructure financing," Mr Agbodza added.
‘Big Push’
The minister also announced a series of nationwide inspections, stakeholder consultations, and a major infrastructure drive dubbed the "Big Push" initiative to fast-track critical road projects across the country.
The initiative targets the rapid completion of 29 high-priority road projects.
Among them are the construction of a new bridge over the Oti River at Dambai; the upgrading of the Tumu-Hamile Road, the dualisation of the Cape Coast-Takoradi and Winneba Mankessim highways, and the Atimpoku-Asikuma road.
He said earlier this year, the ministry embarked on an extensive nationwide tour to assess road conditions in all 16 regions, which revealed significant disparities between urban and rural road networks.
They also identified numerous abandoned projects that required urgent attention.
Mr Agbodza said the findings of the assessment were now being used to shape the ministry’s policy direction and budgetary allocations to ensure more balanced infrastructure development.
He said with outstanding contractual commitments exceeding GH¢123 billion, the ministry had undertaken a comprehensive review to streamline its project portfolio.
Findings
Mr Agbodza said the findings of the assessment were now being used to shape the ministry’s policy direction and budgetary allocations to ensure more balanced infrastructure development.
He mentioned the alignment of the Accra-Kumasi Expressway, the development of the Accra and Kumasi outer ring roads, and the construction of the Adawso-Ekye Amanfrom bridge, which is expected to open up the Afram Plains for agricultural expansion.
Mr Agbodza, however, acknowledged some of the challenges in his ministry, including delayed payments to contractors, stalled projects, inefficiencies in procurement processes, and inadequate technical supervision.
He said they were instituting sector-wide reforms, including performance-based contracts, enhanced quality assurance mechanisms, and value-for-money audits to improve transparency and efficiency in the sector.
Maintenance
To secure long-term maintenance financing, Parliament has passed legislation to establish a Road Maintenance Trust Fund.
The fund, which would be resourced through fuel levies, was expected to address the persistent backlog in road maintenance and introduce greater accountability in revenue management.
Efforts were also underway to strengthen axle load control measures to prevent premature road damage caused by overloaded trucks.
The minister said that a technical committee had been formed to review and modernise enforcement mechanisms in line with ECOWAS standards.
He further said that the Koforidua Training Centre was set to roll out an extensive capacity-building programme for engineers, contractors, and the ministry staff to enhance skills in project management and quality assurance.
He said road conditions from 2014 to 2025 showed that 44 per cent of the country’s 94,203 km road network was rated as being in good condition in 2024.
