“Every vehicle is linked to a Ghana Card; we don’t need manual toll gates anymore” – President Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has called for the adoption of a digital tolling system in Ghana, describing it as a forward-looking solution that aligns with the country’s evolving digital infrastructure.
Delivering the keynote address at the 9th Ghana CEO Summit held in Accra, President Mahama highlighted how Ghana’s technological progress — particularly the integration of the Ghana Card with key services such as driver’s licenses and vehicle registration — provides a strong foundation for modernising road toll collection.
“The good thing today is that every car is linked to the owner’s Ghana card, and so we don’t need to have the old toll gates and those cards that you stand and open and all that,” he stated. “We will just go straight to digitalise.”
He proposed that the new system would eliminate the need for physical toll booths, replacing them with camera-based, automated tolling. Under the model, vehicles passing designated toll points — such as the East Legon bridge — would be captured via surveillance, with automatic billing carried out through mobile money or bank accounts.
“If it’s 1 cedi, if you cross the East Legon bridge, a picture of your car is taken and a bill will be sent to you and deductions made through your mobile money or your bank account,” the President explained.
The digital tolling initiative, according to Mahama, promises to reduce congestion, improve efficiency, and enhance transparency in toll revenue collection.
His remarks come at a time when the government is exploring the reintroduction of road tolls, which were suspended in 2021. The proposed digital system could address long-standing concerns over traffic bottlenecks and alleged revenue leakages at traditional toll booths.
The 9th Ghana CEO Summit, themed “Leading Ghana’s Economic Reset: Transforming Business and Governance for a Sustainable Futuristic Economy”, brought together top executives, policymakers, and thought leaders to explore solutions for Ghana’s economic recovery and transformation.
