Some commercial drivers at the Accra Circle have raised concerns over the movement of sanitation trucks transporting refuse from Agbogbloshie in Accra to disposal sites in the Eastern Region.
They have warned that the manner in which some of the trucks are being operated could pose serious risks to other road users.
According to the drivers, some sanitation trucks have been using one-way routes and, in some instances, driving against oncoming traffic without police escorts.
They say the practice is particularly worrying on busy roads, where trucks travelling against the flow of traffic could result in head-on collisions and other accidents.
The concerns follow President John Dramani Mahama’s directive for the evacuation of accumulated waste at Agbogbloshie.
The president recently commissioned the evacuation of waste heaps from Agbogbloshie to the Adipa Engineered Landfill Site near Nsawam in the Eastern Region.
The exercise, being led by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, is being undertaken in collaboration with the Ghana Armed Forces and the District Road Improvement Project (DRIP), with funding from the Ministry of Finance and the District Assemblies Common Fund.
Speaking to Adom News, some commercial drivers questioned the decision to allow the sanitation trucks to operate on busy roads without police escorts, particularly during periods when traffic remains heavy.
One of the drivers said the government must balance the urgency of removing the waste with the need to protect human lives.
“Does the government value the waste more than human lives? These trucks are meeting vehicles coming from the opposite direction, and that is very risky. If proper measures are not put in place, we could end up recording an accident, and people could lose their lives.”
Another driver called on the authorities to consider moving the trucks at midnight or during other late-night hours when traffic volumes are relatively low.
“We are not against the removal of the waste. It has to be done, but the authorities must also think about the safety of the people using the roads. If the trucks are moved at midnight, when there are fewer vehicles on the road, it will reduce the risk of accidents and also minimize traffic disruptions.”
The drivers also appealed for police escorts and clear traffic management arrangements whenever the trucks have to use routes that require them to move against normal traffic flow.
They stressed that while the evacuation of the accumulated waste is necessary, it should not be carried out in a manner that exposes motorists, pedestrians, and other road users to unnecessary danger.
“We support the exercise because the waste must be cleared, but safety should come first. The authorities should put proper arrangements in place so that the trucks can move without putting other road users at risk.”
The drivers believe that scheduling the movement of the sanitation trucks for midnight and other low-traffic periods would help reduce the risk of collisions, ease congestion, and allow the waste evacuation exercise to continue with minimal disruption to traffic.
Adom News attempted to obtain responses from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs on the concerns raised by the drivers and to clarify the arrangements guiding the movement of the sanitation trucks.
However, the attempts to reach the relevant authorities for comment were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
