A member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport in Parliament, Mr Kwadwo Aboagye Nyanpon, is advocating for over 200 per cent increment in road tolls.Sharing his view on the state of roads in the country on Accra-based radio station, Onua FM, the Member of Parliament for Biakoye Constituency in the Oti Region said the increment is necessary since the prices of goods and services in the country have increased but the road tolls remain the same.

Mr Nyanpon, who is also a former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), is therefore suggesting that saloon vehicles which are currently paying GHp50 should be made to pay GH¢2 while those paying GH¢1 should be made to pay GH¢4.

“I was the CEO of Ghana Highway Authority in 2009 under the late former President [Atta] Mills when we increased the road tolls. Since then, prices of goods and services have gone up but the toll remains the same,” he said in an interview on Accra-based radio station, Onua FM.

“The charges on road tolls are inadequate because in 2009 when it was increased to the current prices, the cedi to dollar was GH¢1.20 and now it’s over GH¢5. It should be increased again. It should be increased by 200% for those paying 50pesewas to pay GH¢2 and those paying GH¢1 now should pay GH¢4,” he added.

Lack of maintenance

The MP advised that anytime a road is constructed, “2% of total cost of that road should be set aside for maintenance annually” if the road will last.

“If you don’t do that for five years, the amount that would be spent for maintenance would be more than double. It would be between 40% to 60% of the total cost of the road.”

Mr Nyanpon said “lack of maintenance is the cause of our deplorable roads. We need to maintain them always instead of constructing new roads”.

Source: Graphic.com.gh