Tollbooth workers have been waiting on the government to reassign them to other jobs
A former employee at a tollbooth, Anthony Adarkwa has disclosed the government did not consult relevant stakeholders before moving to close public tollbooths on roads and bridges nationwide.
Now jobless, Anthony who did not get the chance to listen to the budget reading or even get a whiff of the directive from the Ministry of Transport woke up at dawn to prepare for work, only to see a message on their platform abruptly informing them not to return to post.
Finance Minister of Ghana, Ken Ofori-Atta announced the elimination of toll booths on all public roads and bridges after parliamentary approval of the 2022 budget. According to him, the inconveniences caused by traffic jams at tolling points also lead to pollution in and around vicinities these toll booths are situated, necessitating the proposal.
Following this announcement, Roads and Highways Minister, Kwasi Amoako-Attah directed that toll collection at the various toll booths across the country must be halted effective Thursday, November 18, 2021, without waiting on parliamentary approval of the budget.
“The directive was sudden and a sad one. Our coordinators didn’t tell us anything about the closure of tollbooths because just like us, they knew nothing. We figured the government could’ve spoken to stakeholders, thus employees and the institution that helped us get the job. There was no consultation whatsoever and if that is the case then they need to reassign us and tell us the kind of work we will do there because we don’t want to be jobless and suffer,” he told Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show.
Not willing to rely on charity to survive, he urged the government to actively take steps to reassign them. “The company in charge of tollbooths promised to pay us for the months of November and December but we are yet to receive those. Now, we are confused as we don’t even know where the government will reassign us.”