• Parliament has approved a 20-year concession agreement to introduce a nationwide electronic road toll system covering 66 locations across Ghana.

• No transport fare increase has been announced because of the reintroduction of road tolls, although operators may review fares if operating costs continue to rise.

• The electronic toll system will be introduced in phases, replacing manual toll booths with digital payment technology aimed at improving efficiency and generating more funding for road maintenance.

While no transport union has linked the return of road tolls to a proposed fare increase, the new system is expected to introduce additional operating costs for commercial drivers, particularly as tolling expands to more locations across the country.

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Parliament approved the public-private partnership agreement between the Ministry of Roads and Highways, acting on behalf of the Government of Ghana, and a Special Purpose Vehicle to be incorporated by Rock Africa Limited. The company will mobilise private investment to finance, design, construct, operate and maintain the electronic tolling infrastructure.

The new system will be introduced at 66 locations across 13 operational corridors nationwide. It will cover 38 existing toll booths, which will be upgraded with electronic technology, as well as 28 new tolling locations, significantly expanding Ghana’s toll network.

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The electronic system replaces the previous manual cash-based model, which was criticised for causing congestion, revenue leakages and inefficiencies. Government says the new technology will improve revenue collection, enhance transparency and reduce delays at toll points.

Under the concession agreement, government will receive 70 percent of toll revenue, while the concessionaire will retain 30 percent to recover its investment and cover operating costs.

The agreement spans 20 years, comprising three years for design and construction, followed by 17 years of operation and maintenance. At the end of the concession period, ownership of all infrastructure will revert to the Government of Ghana.

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The reintroduction of road tolls is primarily intended to strengthen funding for road maintenance.

Since toll collection was suspended in 2022, the Road Fund has relied more heavily on fuel levies and other revenue sources to finance maintenance across the country’s road network. Government believes restoring toll collections will provide a more reliable and sustainable source of funding without increasing public debt, as the private sector will finance the infrastructure.

During parliamentary debate, lawmakers from both the Majority and Minority supported the agreement, arguing that the electronic system would improve efficiency while generating more resources for maintaining roads.

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This remains the biggest question for commuters.

For now, there is no approved transport fare increase linked to the reintroduction of road tolls.

The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) recently suspended its proposed 30% fare increase following discussions with the Ministry of Transport. The union said the proposed adjustment was driven by rising fuel prices, vehicle maintenance costs and other operational expenses, rather than the return of road tolls.

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However, the reintroduction of tolls is expected to increase operating costs for commercial transport operators, particularly because the new network covers significantly more locations than the previous toll system.

At the same time, fuel prices continue to rise. Several Oil Marketing Companies have increased pump prices following higher international petroleum prices and the depreciation of the Ghana cedi against the US dollar.

Although the electronic toll system is expected to eliminate long queues and reduce delays at toll plazas, transport operators will still have to factor toll charges into their operating costs. If fuel prices continue to rise after toll collection begins, transport unions could return to the negotiating table to seek fare adjustments, although no such proposal has been announced.

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The return of road tolls will not happen immediately.

The concession allows three years for the design and construction of the nationwide electronic infrastructure, meaning implementation will be phased rather than introduced all at once.

As tolling gradually begins across the 66 approved locations, motorists should expect electronic payment systems to replace cash transactions, reducing congestion at toll points. However, many routes that were previously toll-free will now become subject to toll charges.

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For commuters, transport fares are expected to remain unchanged in the immediate term. Nevertheless, with fuel prices already increasing and electronic tolls likely to add to operators’ running costs over time, the possibility of future fare adjustments cannot be ruled out.

Until transport unions formally announce any fare review, passengers should expect transport fares to remain unchanged while keeping a close watch on developments as the nationwide electronic tolling system is rolled out.