Abandoned tollbooths to be converted into washrooms – Amoako-Atta

Plans are underway to convert abandoned tollbooths into washrooms across the country, Minister of Roads and Highways Kwasi Amoako-Atta, has said.

According to him, the move is to ensure the cessation of the practice whereby commuters and drivers ease themselves by the roadside.

“We have an alternative use for all the 38 or so toll booth centres across the country. You know we have plans for all those who were working in the toll booths. We are going to continue to work with them. We have come up with suggestions. We even want to refurbish all those toll booth structures to provide the proper and decent washrooms,” Mr Amoako-Atta noted.

“You see men on the left and women on the right [urinating]. Look, it’s all indecent; it’s not a good practice,” he stressed.

The government scrapped all tolls on public roads in the 2022 Budget and Economic Policy presented to parliament on Wednesday, November 17.

The minister’s comment follows a call by the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) for the structures to be removed to help prevent accidents from occurring.

The Head of the NRSA Compliance Unit, Kwame Koduah Atuahene, said the tollbooths have become obstructions to motorists and could pose a danger to them. Therefore, they should be removed.

“We have spoken to the Ghana Highway Authority to do whatever it has to remove them[tollbooths] so that they do not cause any harm before we do something about it.

“Either you take them off or give sufficient warning of about 500 meters ahead or one kilometre ahead to notify drivers that they are approaching an unused tollbooth, so they should slow down. Ultimately, we want motorists to be safe,” he told the media.