Minority threatens to oppose attempts to increase road tolls

“We agree with government that we must get more resources to the road ministry to improve our roads. We’ll support government in that endeavour but we shall not support government to increase road tolls unless government is able to cap road fund, give all that money to the road ministry and then we can discuss the gap that will be left. Until that time, they cannot get the support from our side of the House to increase road tolls,” minority spokesperson on Roads and Transport Governs Kwame Agbodza told a Press conference on Tuesday, May 25.

Roads and Highways Minister Kwasi Amoako-Atta last week told the media 25 interchanges have been earmarked for construction across the country to ease the traffic situation out of which 20 will be completed before the end of President Akufo-Addo’s term.

He also disclosed that 6,000 kilometers out of 11,000 kilometers of roads are to be completed under government’s second year of roads programme.

His update follows the 4,000 kilometers of roads constructed in the first term of the Akufo-Addo administration.

Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Sunday, May 23, 2021, Mr. Amoako-Atta established that the 6,000 kilometers of roads to be completed falls under critical, cocoa, town roads, and asphalt overlays, and the Sinohydro Master Project Support Facility.

But Governs Kwame Agbodza argued that funds available to government do not match the plan in the road sector.

The Adaklu MP further argued the 6,000km roads promise is inadequate especially given the failure of the Sino hydro project.

“They could do more based on the quantum of resources that have been given to this government,” he said while describing government’s target of 20 interchanges in 4 years as a joke.