President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to introduce an automated toll collection system that will link vehicles to their owners’ Ghana Cards, eliminating the need for traditional tollbooths.
As outlined in the 2025 Economic Policy and Budget Statement, the initiative will allow toll charges to be automatically billed to motorists through their mobile money wallets or bank accounts.
“Every car is now linked to its owner’s Ghana Card,” Mahama said. “We don’t need the old toll gates anymore. The system will take a picture of your car, and the toll—just GHS 1—will be deducted from your account.”
According to Mahama, the shift to a digital tolling model aims to streamline revenue collection and reduce inefficiencies in the current manual system. The government is currently finalising the technical details, but the president assured that the system will be simple and transparent.
The move is part of a broader strategy to digitise public services and improve infrastructure financing through efficient, technology-driven systems.
President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to overhaul the country’s road toll collection system by introducing a fully automated, cashless model that links vehicle ownership to the national identification database.
The initiative, part of the administration’s 2025 Economic Policy and Budget Statement, aims to eliminate traditional tollbooths in favor of a digital tolling framework. Under the proposed system, each vehicle will be digitally connected to its owner’s Ghana Card—Ghana’s national ID—enabling direct billing to mobile money wallets or bank accounts.
“We don’t need the old toll gates anymore,” President Mahama said during a public address. “Every car is linked to the owner’s Ghana Card. With that, we can automate the process and remove inefficiencies.”
Toll charges would be automatically deducted after vehicles are identified through license plate recognition technology. The system would charge fixed rates—starting at 1 Ghanaian cedi (approximately $0.08)—with funds collected and transferred electronically.
“If you cross the East Legon bridge, we just take a picture of your car, send the bill to your MoMo or bank account, and charge GHS 1. It’s that simple,” Mahama said.
Government officials say ongoing consultations are focused on finalizing the technology and payment integration frameworks. The digital transition is expected to improve public revenue collection while curbing leakages associated with manual tolling methods.
The plan aligns with broader digital infrastructure reforms as Ghana continues to expand the use of the Ghana Card in areas such as banking, SIM registration, and tax administration.
Source:TheDotNews