The Need for Footbridge at Block Factory Junction in the Ga West Municipality

As a concerned resident of Block Factory, a community in the Ga West Municipality, I deem it prudent to appeal to all concerned authorities, especially the Ga West Municipal Chief Executive, Greater Accra Regional Minister and Minister for Roads to construct a footbridge at the Block Factory Junction.

It is disheartening to observe that lives of pedestrians, especially school children, are endangered daily at the Block Factory Junction. As a community, Block Factory serves as a residential place for thousands of Ghanaian workers who commute daily to and fro Accra for work and other socio-economic activities.

Besides, this residential place is littered with both private and public schools. Typical example of these schools is the Christian Methodist Day Senior High School, whose students commute from different communities and municipalities within the Greater Accra Region to school daily. Due to this, pedestrians converge at the Block Factory Junction at rush hours daily to cross to either sides of the road.

Due to the two traffic lights at SCC and Barrier Junctions, the over stressed drivers usually drive on top speed from these two opposite sides to the Block Factory Junction which is situated in between the Barrier and SCC Junctions. As typical of Ghanaian drivers, they do not see the need to stop for pedestrians to cross this dual carriage road which is a high way. When the disciplined drivers even stop for the pedestrians to cross, there are others who get infuriated by the mere fact that some of the pedestrians do not walk faster and with impunity, threaten them with their cars by accelerating.

To make matters worse, there is no police presence at this junction so the indisciplined drivers break traffic regulations by packing on the zebra cross, where the pedestrians are expected to cross the road from. Moreover, the drivers unreasonably drive far beyond the speed limit they are ought to drive in a residential area.

It is against this backdrop that I deem it appropriate to appeal to the Ga West Municipal Chief Executive, Greater Accra Regional Minister and Minister for Roads to as a matter of urgency, construct a footbridge at the Block Factory Junction on the N1 High Way. Let us not wait to experience the loss of lives and limbs before we do something about this.

Bala Ali

E-mail: [email protected]

Social Commentator and Writer