For over 120 years, successive governments have constructed hundreds of roads in Ghana’s capital city, Accra, to ease the flow of traffic. But, that seems as a race against time, as Accra roads get more and more choked with automobile and human traffic. So, what keeps causing the traffic jams?
This news feature explores Accra’s current traffic situation and causes of the persistent go-slows’ and bumper-to-bumper jams.
Adom Kaseɛ‘s junketing reporter Prince Owusu Asiedu and his crew drove through some streets of Accra and such neighbouring towns as Kasoa; and, the impact of traffic jams on motorists, passengers and other road users was serious.
The traffic monitoring started at Adabraka at the centre of Accra. From there, the News Team rode on a major road to the Psychiatric Hospital, also at the suburb.
From the Psychiatric Hospital at Adabraka, Adom News headed for Achimota in the northern part – using the Tesano Road. At Achimota, in front of the Melcom shop and the defunct Neoplan Assembly Plant, the traffic situation was no better.
But, why is it that this road has been rebuilt and expanded but it still gets choked? Adom News wondered.
If you supposed that Achimota is at getting to the outskirts of town and that main-town will look better; wait till we have shown you the congestion at such choice areas as the road from Liberation Circle through the 37 Military Hospital and the Kotoka International Airport junction to Legon University. The commonest sight on this highway in Accra East is traffic jam.
From Accra East, the Team headed back into the central parts, surveying the Kanda Highway. The ‘value was the same.’
So, when at all will the occurrence of traffic jams stop in Accra? How can that be forced to happen? Assistant Superintendent of Police, Alexander Obeng, is the Head of Training and Research at the Police Motor, Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service and shared his opinion in the video above.
Back to Accra West: a journey on the Winneba Road, starting from Kaneshie through Kasoa.
And, for some Kasoa to Winneba drivers, further expansion of the road and tollbooth is the only solution.
The News Team chanced on a road expansion project at a place called Big Apple, close to Buduburam. Urban Roads Department that had been charged with this task to ease traffic was, however, not on site…. drivers were dismayed.
Like the practice is in some advanced countries, Government of Ghana recently introduced the Rapid Mass Transit system, in which lanes are dedicated to specific public buses to transport passengers to and fro fast.
That looks like much ado about nothing. But, how come? That is the question Adom Kaseɛ posed to Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover, Deputy Minister of Transport (video above).
All efforts by our News Team to get the Department of Urban Roads to speak to the issue proved futile. For now, many Accra roads look like turning into one long traffic jam – with automobiles packed bumper-to-bumper!
Source: Adomonline.com | Adom News | Prince Owusu Asiedu and crew
