We’ll use parliamentary processes to reverse suspension of road tolls – Minority

The Minority in Parliament has said it will employ parliamentary processes to ensure that the cessation of the collection of bridge and road tolls is reversed.

According to the Minority, workers of the various toll booths must resume work to earn a living.

The stance by the Caucus follows the staging of a demonstration by some tollbooth workers yesterday, Tuesday, November 30, 2021. The toll collectors embarked on the exercise because they claimed they had been rendered redundant.

According to them, the directive from the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Atta is having an adverse impact on their livelihoods.

Receiving a petition from the group at Parliament, Deputy Minority Chip Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim insisted that the Minority will ensure that their concerns are addressed.

“We started fighting for you even before you thought of your petition, and this is a house of rules and regulations. There are procedures to be followed, and it is good that your petition has also come at the right and also confirms the position that was taken by the house itself.”

“So while you have brought this, we will go and juxtapose this with the comments that were made on the floor and the Speaker direction that was given. Abrupt abrogation of that economic zone will not be to the benefit of the persons with disabilities. So whatever we would do as your representatives, we will do it.”

Meanwhile, Secretary of the Ghana Toll Workers group, Edward Duncan said though the Majority in Parliament has approved the 2022 budget, the group will mount pressure on the house to cancel the cessation of toll collection.

“We will wait and see in the coming days how things will unfold because the comments coming from the Minority suggests to us that the approval by the Majority is illegal, and it shouldn’t stand. So we will wait to see in the coming days what will come out, and then we will advise ourselves accordingly.”

Background

The Ministry of Roads and Highways directed the discontinuation of the collection of tolls on all public roads and bridges across the country from Thursday, November 18, 2021.

The directive followed the announcement by the Finance Ministry of the scrapping of tolls on all public roads.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, subsequently directed the Roads Minister to reverse that directive, insisting it was illegal and must be immediately withdrawn.

He argued that although the cessation of tolls on public roads was announced in the 2022 budget, it remains a proposal until Parliament approves it.

However, the directive was not heeded by the minister.

---citinewsroom