Commuters and drivers in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana have called for the immediate re-introduction of collection of road tolls to avert the rate at which articulator trucks use same lanes leading to the toll booth as parking spaces.
Prior to the encounter with these road users, the government mentioned re-introducing the tolls on selected roads in the country this year, 2023. The commuters who use the Tema Toll Plaza terrain on the Accra-Tema motorway to this effect, requested for an immediate intervention as they lamented about the actions of the articulator drivers who ply the roads.
According to the commuters and rivers, the actions of these truck drivers make plying the road scary.
“When it reaches night, truck drivers pack their cars here and there. So what I will want the government to do is to come to our aid and help in bringing the toll booth back.”
Musa Mohammed, One of the commuters
Musa Mohammed’s concern for the immediate reintroduction of the road tolls is in tangent with other drivers and commuters who make use of the road.
Preceding the cessation of road toll collection on December 18, 2021, drivers who used the Tema Toll Plaza on the Accra-Tema motorway used all six (6) lanes but with the current situation, drivers have been forced to use just three (3) of these lanes, the commuters and drivers said.
“This lane and the other has been blocked. Left with how many? About 3 of them. If they remove this lane and leave the other one, its fine with me. But then, left to me alone, it (the current situation at the toll booths) is not good.
“Some of them (articulator trucks) will come and go when their agents call them. Some will come today and go today whereas some will pack about let’s say 2 to 3-4 days without leaving.”
Whodi Issahaku, Driver
Some of the truck drivers have used the booths as a resting spot while some citizens were found washing their clothes on the road.
Truck drivers complain of not having a rest point
Speaking with Kojo Sarpack, one of the articulator truck drivers, who was delivering a truck load of some bags of rice to Burkina Faso, he said his decision to park off in the toll booth area was to take in some rest before continuing the long journey. He complained of no parking area for truck drivers on the roads, thus, their decision to park where the booths were mounted.
However, even though the articulator truck drivers who parked on the Tema Toll Plaza stretch admit wrong doing, they attributed the cessation of the collection of road tolls as the basis for their actions.
“An accident would have occurred right here (the toll booth). A vehicle was approaching without knowing there was another ahead. So the government should move them (the articulator trucks) from here.
“The cessation of the collection of tolls is the major reason. These drivers occupy the lanes, leaving about 2 or 3 lanes. If toll system is brought back, these drivers will leave. And it will also reduce the traffic we sometimes encounter here.”
Kwabina Ntorniah, Driver
Again, these commuters believe the action when taken will prevent the rampant accidents that occur on the stretch.
“There are plenty cars being parked and I can say it is not good because normally, it causes accidents so they have to tell them something to find somewhere packing. If not, lives will be lost. In moments like this, they park the trucks well but park on the road side late into the nights.”
Frank Sarpong, Commuter
In view of this, commuters want the appropriate authorities to immediately put measures in place to remove the trucks even as the government prepares to re-introduce toll collection.
Meanwhile, it has also been observed that some parts of the toll booth have begun to deteriorate with some roofing sheets coming off and electric lines in the booths disconnected and destroyed as a result of them being unutilized.
It is therefore the desire of the concerned commuters and drivers for government to re-introduce the tolls in a months’ time or two to quickly avert the situation and maintain proper and safe road conditions.
