The government is set to introduce a multi-lane, free-flow electronic tolling system on public roads that have been improved, Roads and Highways Minister Kwame Governs Agbodza has announced.

The system is expected to allow motorists to pass through tolling points without stopping, while enabling the government to collect revenue electronically from roads that have benefited from public investment.

Speaking at the Transport Sector Review Conference, Mr Agbodza said the initiative forms part of efforts to modernise road toll collection and improve efficiency across the country’s road network.

“Government is introducing a multi-lane free-flow electronic tolling system to be deployed on every public road that has been improved,” he said.

New system replaces old toll-booth model

The proposed system represents a shift from the traditional tolling model, under which motorists stopped at physical toll booths to make payments.

The previous road and bridge toll system was abolished nationwide in November 2021 under the then Akufo-Addo administration. The government said the move was intended, among other things, to reduce congestion and travel delays caused by toll booths and improve productivity.

The abolition brought an end to toll collection at locations across the country and was followed by the decommissioning of several toll booths, including those on the Accra-Tema Motorway.

The current government, however, has moved to restore road and bridge tolling as a source of funding for road infrastructure, but through a more technology-driven system.

Cabinet approved the reintroduction of road and bridge tolls in June 2025, with the government indicating that the new system would use advanced technology to improve efficiency, transparency and revenue generation.

Earlier plans for the modernised system included technologies such as radio-frequency identification (RFID) and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) to reduce revenue leakages and eliminate the need for conventional toll booths.

Mr Agbodza has also previously indicated that the government was working towards a cashless national tolling system operated through an information technology platform, with no physical toll booths.

The latest announcement therefore points to a model in which motorists can use improved public roads without stopping at toll plazas, while electronic systems identify vehicles and facilitate the collection of applicable tolls.

The government has yet to provide details on the specific roads to be covered, the toll rates or the timeline for the full rollout of the system.