Road Ministry meets Legon authorities over proposed tolls

The Ministry of Roads and Highways is holding discussions with the authorities of the University of Ghana on how best the Ministry can absorb the cost of recent rehabilitation on some university roads into the Ministry’s 2014 budget.

The university authorities recently announced their intention to start levying tolls on all vehicles using the new roads which have been rehabilitated under an agreement with a private credit facility.

A statement issued by the Ministry said: “It is hoped that a more conducive solution can be found to end the controversy generated by the announcement of the tolls”.

The Minister for Roads and Highway, Alhaji Amin Aminu Sulemana, has already stated the government’s view that the rehabilitation of campus roads is a laudable initiative. However, there’s concern that the introduction of tolls could create a number of inconveniences for some road users.

The Minister said the Ministry will ensure that roads on the campuses of major institutions are maintained at reasonable standards across the country.

The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) has already kicked against the decision of the university authorities to introduce user charges for all vehicles entering the university from February 1, 2014.

The university has announced that with effect from February 1, all vehicles entering the main campus and those using the road passing through the Staff Village will be required to pay a user charge.

Private vehicles are to pay GH¢1 per entry while taxis and other small commercial passenger vehicles will be required to pay GH¢2 per entry. The university authorities indicated that large trucks delivering goods or passing through the campus will pay GH¢3 per entry.

They also said arrangements were being made for private road users to make one-time payments of GH¢400 per year; GH¢250 for six months and GH¢150 for three months. For the first two months, a manual collection will be used at the toll booths while arrangements are being made for an electronic access control.

The university authorities said only employees of the institutions and their dependants using vehicles registered with the university will be exempted from paying the charges.

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