Re-introduction of road tolls gets GPRTU’s support

THE Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has welcomed the re-introduction of road tolls and called for their efficient use in the management and maintenance of roads in the country.

That, it said, was to ensure that the roads were in good shape for smooth travelling across the length and breadth of the country.

In addition, the union underscored the need for the cost of the road toll to be included in the renewal of the roadworthy certificate to ensure that all vehicle owners paid.

That, it said, was to ensure fairness on the part of vehicle owners.

“If they want to reintroduce it, we have no problem but we are saying that money generated from the toll should be used to improve the quality of the roads that we have,” the Public Relations Officer of the GPRTU, Abass Imoro, said to the Daily Graphic yesterday. 

Policy

During his vetting, the Minister of Finance designate, Cassiel Ato Forson, told the Vetting Committee that the new government would reintroduce road tolls in line with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) 2024 manifesto.

He said the government was committed to reintroducing the road tolls the previous government had removed.

“The previous government indeed removed the road toll but getting to the end, they signalled that the road toll is coming back. They submitted it to Parliament but it was not laid despite a concession agreement with a company to reintroduce it.

“The NDC indicated from day one that the road toll would come back. We are not running away from it, so I want to assure you that we are a party that sticks to our promises,” he said, among other things.

Mr Imoro emphasised that although the union had no problem with the road tolls, it had other issues that needed to be looked at and addressed.

Facilities 

The GPRTU Industrial Relations Officer explained that, for instance, when the road toll was abolished, there were some allegations made by the workers who manned the facilities.

One of them, he said, was allocating areas with busy tollbooths which generated more money for private companies to collect and less busy ones that raked in some income for the government for collection.

“When the road tolls were abolished, you realised the workers came out and said so many things about some happenings, that most of the viable places that made more money had been given out to private people to run and fewer income places are handled by the government”.

“We condemned that act because we believe the money accrued from all these tolls are to be rechannelled into putting the road to good use,” he emphasised.

He pleaded with the government to ensure it collected all the tolls once it had decided to reintroduce it in the country for the improvement of the road sector.

Conditions 

Mr Imoro said most of the places where tolls were paid were in deplorable conditions and should be put in good shape for smooth travelling.   

He said if the collection of the toll was digitalised to bring about genuineness, fairness and proper accountability, the union did not have any problem with that, stressing that the union would look forward to a meeting and an exhaustive discussion on the issue with the incoming Minister of Transport for a smooth operation of the sector.

“If the minister is approved, he should invite the road transport operators so that we all come to a very nice conclusion and not impose any huge amount on us because we agree with the decision,” he said.

Asked how much, he thought would be okay, he said he could not mention any amount because the leadership had to meet and take a decision on that.