The government has announced that the implementation of the National Roads Authority Act 2024 (Act 1118) will be put on hold to facilitate further consultations. The Ministry of Roads and Highways stated this decision on Friday, February 7, 2025, indicating that concerns raised by various groups regarding the restructuring of road management agencies influenced their choice.
The Act, which was passed by Parliament in July 2024, aims to merge the Ghana Highway Authority, the Department of Urban Roads, and the Department of Feeder Roads into a single entity to improve coordination. The government plans to reintroduce road and bridge tolls to generate funds for maintenance and infrastructure development. In a separate statement on Thursday, the Ministry announced that the new tolling system would utilize technology to enhance efficiency and transparency. Roads and Highways Minister Kwame Governs Agbodza confirmed during his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on January 20 that tolls would be reinstated but without physical toll booths.
“The road toll is coming back, but not in the form of building obstructions on the road,” Agbodza said, arguing that the previous government’s suspension of toll collection was unlawful. Alhaji Abu Gomda, a former deputy minister of roads and highways, defended the decision taken by the previous administration, insisting it was necessary at the time to ease congestion. He said the reintroduction of tolls must address past inefficiencies. The Ministry assured the public that the procurement process for the new system would be open and competitive.
By: Mohammed Al
