Minister proposes increase in toll user fee

The Minister of State for Transportation, Godfred Tangu Bayon has proposed increase in toll user fees to enable Government raise enough funds to maintain roads in the country and also construct new ones.

He observed that the current toll user fee is too small to help government maintain the existing road. Currently, the toll user fee is between 50Gp and GH¢1.

The Minister made this proposal yesterday when the Danish Ambassador and two Under-Secretaries of Transport from Denmark paid a courtesy call on him in Accra.

He explained that for over nine years now the toll user fee has not been increased. He said currently there are about 50,000km road network in the country and all these roads need to be maintained.

Mr Tangu Bayon said although there are three ways by which funds are raised to support the road sector, namely, fuel levy, international transit levy and the toll user fee, these levies needed to be reviewed. He said because of lack of funds, the amount of works that has to be done on our roads is not done and this always results in backlog of works.

He expressed the appreciation of the Government of Ghana for the continuous support of the Danish Government. He said investments in Ghana's transportation sector by the Danish Government through the Danish Development Cooperation emerged as far back as 1992 through support to the National Feeder Roads Rehabilitation and Maintenance Project and the rehabilitation of part of the ferry transport system on Lake Volta.

On his part, the Danish Ambassador, Flemming Bjørk Pedersen, said the Danish Government will increase its support for the Ghanaian transport sector from 300million kronar to 400million kronar. He said their focus is on feeder roads.

He commended Ghana for taking issues of road safety much more serious than anywhere else in Africa. Road safety and the transport infrastructure data base are some of the activities supported by the Danish Government in Ghana.