The Ghana Toll Workers Union has called on the government to reintroduce the collection of tolls across the country.
The call comes after the Finance Minister disclosed that users of the Accra-Tema Motorway will pay tolls to post the completion of the expansion project.
The announcement, according to the union, will only provide jobs for a handful of the over 800 workers who are unemployed.
In an interview, Chairman of the Ghana Toll Workers Union, Henry Dogbe appealed to the government to consider their request.
“The road infrastructure is already there for the collection of tolls. The managers and the workers are ready to go back to work without any problems. We are about 800 workers in Ghana and out of 37 toll stations, we are going to reopen only the Accra-Tema motorway, how many workers can be employed?”
“So what we are asking the government is to consider the situation now and allow the toll workers to go back to work because the promise made to them was never fulfilled. So the best option now is the reopening of the toll booths. So we are appealing to the government.”
The government has announced plans to reintroduce tolls on newly constructed Public Private Partnership (PPP) roads after completion, beginning with the Accra-Tema Motorway.
The move is to ensure funding for the construction of such road projects.
Under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) programme for road infrastructure, the Accra-Tema Motorway and Extension Project of 10 lanes are currently at its procurement stage.
Members of the Ghana Toll Workers Union will today embark on a protest to demand their reassignment and payment of six-month salary arrears from the government.
The over 600 workers were disengaged following a directive by the government to halt the collection of tolls on roads and bridges across the country.
Despite an assurance to reassign them and pay their salary arrears, the toll workers say they are yet to receive salaries since January this year.
credit:citinewsroom.