By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
Parliament has approved a major 20-year concession agreement to revive road and bridge tolling nationwide through an electronic tolling system.
The agreement, structured under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), partners the state with Rock Africa Limited to build and operate a barrier-free, multi-lane free-flow tolling network.
The decision reverses the 2021 suspension of manual toll collection, which lawmakers said deprived the road sector of vital maintenance funds.
Under the agreement, the government will receive 70% of gross toll revenues. The private partner, Rock Africa Limited, will receive the remaining 30% to cover operational and capital costs.
The contract spans two decades. The first three years are dedicated to design, engineering, and installation, followed by 17 years of active operation.
At the end of the 20-year period, the infrastructure will be handed back to the state in line with the terms of the agreement.
To address past public complaints regarding heavy traffic gridlock at manual booths, the Ministry of Roads and Highways confirmed the new infrastructure will rely entirely on digital, free-flow technology.
The network will cover 13 transport corridors, with 38 existing toll points to be upgraded and 28 new locations added. The system will read vehicle data automatically, linking payments to mobile money (MoMo) wallets, bank accounts, or Ghana Cards.
The Minister for Roads and Highways, Mr. Kwame Governs Agbodza, assured the public that tolls will strictly apply to completed, high-quality roads.
The resolution received strong bipartisan support from both sides of the aisle. MPs said an automated collection system would help improve efficiency and reduce revenue leakages.
The Ministry of Roads and Highways will publish the specific tariff structures and rollout schedules in the coming months.
