By [KingsleyAsiedu]
The National Deputy Public Relations
Officer of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), David Kwame Mawunyo Agboado, has expressed conditional support for the government’s plan to reintroduce road tolls, calling for accountability over the previous administration’s decision to abolish the levy.
In an exclusive interview, Agboado disclosed that the GPRTU recently met with Roads and Highways Minister, Hon. Governs Kwame Agbodza, following his invitation to discuss the proposed reinstatement of road tolls, which were scrapped under former Minister Kwasi Amoako Atta during the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.
According to Agboado, the Union agrees in principle with the return of tolls, provided
the revenues are used transparently for road maintenance and infrastructure improvement. However, he emphasized that the GPRTU wants investigations into the former minister’s decision to eliminate the tolls, which he said caused significant financial loss to the state.
“We all agreed that it is our duty to pay tolls for the repair and maintenance of our roads,” Agboado said. “But before we accept the toll, the current Minister must ensure that his predecessor is held accountable. The cancellation of the tolls caused a huge loss to the nation, and EOCO must investigate what informed that decision.”
Agboado highlighted the economic impact of the toll removal, particularly on major routes such as the Tema–Ashaiman Highway and the Accra–Tema Motorway,
where commercial drivers (“trotro”) make multiple daily trips.
He explained that trotro drivers previously paid GH₵1.00 per trip — GH₵2.00 for a round trip — adding up to substantial contributions over the course of a week and a year.
“A driver can make four to six trips daily. That’s about GH₵4.00 in and GH₵4.00 out per day. Multiply that by seven days and then by 52 weeks — the amount the nation lost when tolls were stopped is not small,” he stated.
Agboado noted that private car owners paid GH₵0.50 per trip, while heavy-duty trucks paid up to GH₵25.00 per trip, further underscoring the significant revenue shortfall since the toll abolition.
He added that the GPRTU would resist any reintroduction of tolls unless concrete steps are taken to ensure accountability and prevent future mismanagement.
“If EOCO and other investigative bodies do not take this matter up, we will not support the reintroduction of tolls,” he warned. “We are all helping to build a better Ghana, but that starts with holding leaders accountable for their decisions.”
The government, led by Minister Agbodza, has hinted at plans to reintroduce road tolls as part of efforts to raise funds for road maintenance and development. The tolls were initially scrapped in 2021, a move that faced criticism from transport operators and economists who argued it deprived the country of vital infrastructure revenue.
Agboado’s comments reflect the growing
pressure on authorities to balance fiscal responsibility with public trust as Ghana revisits the issue of road tolls.
