After promising to reintroduce road tolls, CUTS International is urging the government to fast-track the reintroduction through a modern, technology-driven system.
CUTS Accra argues that Ghana cannot continue to neglect one of its most important sources of road maintenance funding while road conditions deteriorate across the country.
The consumer protection and public policy think tank made this call ahead of the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review. The policy think tank says the growing number of potholes, damaged roads and weakened bridges highlights the urgent need for sustainable funding to maintain the country’s road network.
According to CUTS, the suspension of road tolls in 2021 removed a critical source of revenue that was intended to support road repairs and maintenance. Since then, pressure on the Road Fund has increased, even as the cost of maintaining roads continues to rise.
The organisation believes the solution is not a return to the manual toll collection system of the past, but the introduction of a modernised and technology-driven tolling regime that is efficient, transparent and easy to account for.
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“CUTS further calls on the government to fast-track the return of road tolls through a modern and technology-driven tolling system. Road tolls are one of the key sources of money for road maintenance. Since their suspension in 2021, the country has lost an important stream of funding for fixing roads,” the statement indicates.
It adds that “A modern tolling system is transparent, efficient and easy to account for. Revenue from tolls must go directly into road maintenance, and Ghanaians must see clear results on the roads they use every day.”
The think tank argues that motorists are already paying a hidden cost for poor roads through vehicle repairs, higher fuel consumption, longer travel times and increased transport fares. A well-managed tolling system that visibly improves road conditions, it says, would provide better value than allowing roads to deteriorate further.
It further advocated for greater support for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to enable them to respond quickly to damaged roads and bridges within their jurisdictions.
In addition, the organisation urged the Ministry of Roads and Highways to resolve outstanding issues surrounding the suspended National Roads Authority Act, 2024 (Act 1118), arguing that delays in implementing the law continue to weaken decentralised road management and slow institutional responses to road failures.
For CUTS, the issue is ultimately about protecting a national asset that millions of Ghanaians rely on daily. Roads connect people to jobs, schools, hospitals, markets and businesses. When they deteriorate, the effects ripple across the economy.
The organisation is therefore calling on government to use the Mid-Year Budget Review to demonstrate a clear commitment to sustainable road financing, with the expedited rollout of a modern road tolling system forming a key part of the solution.
