In a move to enhance road safety and mitigate overloading, the Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Agbodza, has inaugurated a 5-member committee to review the operations of the Axle Load Control Programme.
This development comes as the Mahama administration is set to reintroduce road tolls to generate revenue, a move that has been met with mixed reactions.
The 5-member committee, comprising representatives from National Security, Private Haulage Operators, the Ghana Highway Authority, the Ministry of Transport, and the Ghana Standards Authority, is tasked with identifying systemic and operational issues that require reforms.
They will also interrogate any violations of regulatory provisions, evaluate the management of collected fines, and provide suitable recommendations to improve the Programme.
Overloading heavy cargo vehicles has been identified as a major factor in the premature deterioration of road pavements and increased traffic accidents.
The Ministry is seeking to reform the Axle Load Control Programme, which is facing numerous operational challenges.
It is worth noting that the decision to reintroduce road tolls has been met with criticism from some quarters.
However, the Mahama administration has assured the public that the move is necessary to generate revenue for road construction and maintenance.
The Minister for Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, has emphasized that the NDC remains committed to its promise to bring back road tolls.
In a related development, Kwame Agbodza, Minister for Roads and Highways, has criticized the previous government’s decision to abolish road tolls, describing the move as an “illegal act”.
The reintroduction of road tolls is expected to generate significant revenue for the government, which will be used to improve the country’s road network.
-BY Daniel Bampoe
