ACCRA, Oct 22 (The African Portal) – Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, has announced plans to introduce strict weight restrictions on heavy-duty trucks as part of efforts to protect the country’s road network from rapid deterioration.
Speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony for the Big Push Project – the dualisation of the Takoradi to Cape Coast road on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, President Mahama said overloading by haulage trucks remained a major cause of damage to Ghana’s major highways.
He noted that Ghana’s northern neighbour, Burkina Faso, had already implemented a load regulation policy, preventing overloaded trucks from entering the country.
“Many of the vehicles that overload from Ghana’s ports are forced to offload part of their cargo at the Burkina Faso border before being allowed entry,” he said.
President Mahama said he had directed the Minister for Roads and Highways to include provisions for the enforcement of weight restrictions in the 2026 national budget.
He added that the government would engage transport industry stakeholders to ensure compliance and understanding of the new regulations.
“We cannot invest so much in improving our road networks only for transporters to overload their trucks and destroy the roads within three to five years,” he said.
The president stressed that taxpayers’ money should not be spent on constructing new roads only for them to be damaged prematurely by overloaded vehicles.
The proposed weight restriction policy is expected to complement Ghana’s broader infrastructure development agenda under the Big Push initiative, aimed at modernising transport networks and boosting economic growth.
