Tema drivers complain of poor road network

Drivers in the Tema Metropolis, both private and commercial, are expressing great frustration any time they ply some of the major routes within the Tema Metropolis, due to the poor state of the roads.

Most of the roads in the Metropolis are simply un-motorable, with lots of pot holes punched in them.

Others have now been reduced to gravel winning areas, and still, others look like muddy, even though the region is experiencing a dry season.

The drivers do not understand why after collecting tolls from them on a daily basis, the authorities at the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA), have refused to put the roads in proper shape.

They claim that as a result of the poor state of the roads, the spare parts they use on their cars do not last long, and therefore they are compelled to buy spare parts all the time, thus creating added costs for them.

“Already we are having problems of having to save for the maintenance of our vehicles, which has always become a problem for us, and now we have to use all the money we make for our sales for the replacement of our cars, it's just unfortunate.

“The problem is that if the TMA is up and doing, maintaining the roads from time to time, I am sure that our roads would not have gotten to this state,” one of the commercial drivers told the paper.

Another driver, who gave his name as Kofi Attoh, a taxi driver, expressed disappointment with the TMA, especially the Metropolitan Chief Executive, David Quaye Annan, for allowing the streets of Tema, which until recently had been the pride of many, to deteriorate to this level.

“I am greatly disappointed in the Metropolitan Chief Executive, because when he was sworn into office, he promised that he would do his best to make Tema the beautiful city it once was, but what we see today leaves much to be desired,” Kofi Attoh pointed out.

Our sources inside the TMA, say the delay in fixing or maintaining the roads are as a result of the long hold up of Dr. Richard Anane from office, when he was entangled with a case of conflict of interest by officials of Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) some two years ago.

It is the hope of all residents in the Tema Metropolis, that the Assembly would speed up work on the project, to ensure that roads in Tema are maintained regularly.