Toll workers petition Parliament over cessation of toll collection, salary arrears

Members of the Toll Workers Association of Ghana have petitioned Parliament to demand the reversal of the decision to cease collecting tolls.

They also asked for the payment of their six-month salary arrears from the government.

The group said about 800 toll workers, who were disengaged following a directive by the government to halt the collection of tolls on roads and bridges across the country, have become impoverished.

Madam Lydia Seyram Alhassan, the Deputy Majority Whip, together with Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, Deputy Minority Whip, received the petition on behalf of Speaker Alban Bagbin and the Leadership of the House.

Madam Alhassan commended the group for following due process by bringing their petition to Parliament to be addressed.

She assured the association of sending the request to the Speaker, saying their concerns are genuine and that the House would do whatever it takes to ensure they were addressed.

“You are Ghanaians, your livelihood matters to us…so as Parliament and leaders of Parliament, whatever it takes we would ensure that your issues are addressed for you to be happy,” she added.

Mr Edward Duncan, the Secretary of the Toll Workers Association of Ghana, who led the group to petition Parliament, stated that despite assurance by the government to reassign them and pay their salary arrears, the toll workers were yet to receive their salaries since January this year.

He said the reason that the toll booths were creating traffic and as such the toll collection needed to be suspended was not true.

He said even after the suspension of the toll booths, there was even massive traffic on the same toll collection points, which were cited as causing the traffic.

Source: GNA