Over 200 PWDs tollbooth attendants not re-employed

Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Attah, has told parliament tollbooth attendants including over 200 Persons Living With Disabilities who lost their jobs to the cessation of toll collection have not been re-engaged elsewhere as promised.

The minister following the scrapping of tolls in anticipation of a windfall from Electronic Levy (E-Levy) assured the attendants especially the disabled would be re-engaged elsewhere.

But answering questions from the Minority Chief Whip and ranking member for the Roads and Transport Committee, Governs Kwame Agbodza, the Minister for Roads disclosed that even though all the attendants have been paid their due, they are yet to be employed again.

The Minister however disclosed that consultations are currently ongoing for the return of the tollbooths arguing they are in good condition to the surprise of many lawmakers.

“The toll booths throughout the country are in a fair condition. However, some routine maintenance will be carried out on some of them.

“There are a total of thirty-eight (38) bridge and road toll stations across the country. Out of this number, eighteen (18) were managed by the Ghana High Authority (GHA) whilst the remaining twenty (20) were managed by M/S Toll Route and Management Limited (TRML), a private entity,” Mr Amoako-Atta told Parliament.

He continued: “The total number of workers employed at the toll stations were 661 out of which 195 were employed by the GHA and 466 by TRML. Out of the GHA workers, 92 were Persons With Disabilities (PWDs). Out of the 466 employed by TRML, 190 were PWDs. A total of 282 workers with disabilities were employed to man the toll booths.”

“The GHA workers had six (6) months contract renewable upon satisfactory conduct. Toll operations seized in November 2021 however, the workers were paid their full salaries up to December 2021. The contracts of the workers ceased thereafter,” Mr Amoako-Atta stated.