Dead traffic lights worsen traffic situation

Commuters in the city of Accra have had to grapple with a number of situations that make travel on some of the city's roads a near nightmare.

The first of these situations is the issue of traffic lights at some of the major intersections in the city.

Apart from the one at the Dzorwulu intersection, which the Accra File reported on some time ago, which has been repaired, there are a number of other traffic lights which have gone off since July this year.

A few of such examples are the traffic lights at Madina Zongo Junction, Okponglo, Pig Farm Junction, Adenta Barrier, and many others, which because of time and space cannot be mentioned here, now.

These lights have gone off for several months, and still remain so, even after much public outcry.

So far some of these affected intersections have recorded multiple car crashes, and only God knows the number of limbs that have been lost, not talking about lives that have been cut short due to the negligence of those in charge of the city's traffic lights.

The average policy makers and enforcers must know by now, that vehicular traffic flows have a lot of impact on economic activities in the city, not talking about the stress that slow-moving traffic imposes on commuters.

It is for this reason that Accra File finds it difficult to fathom, whether when new roads are being constructed in the city, it seems somebody gives instructions that they should be made so narrow that two vehicles can barely pass each other on some of these roads.

Just check the road between the Achimota Police Station towards the Achimota township itself, and take another look at the new one being constructed, between Tetteh Quarshie and Mamfe, especially, between the I.P.S and Atomic junctions.

Some of the pavements are even broader than the roads, with vehicles struggling for space to get to their destinations, with matters coming to a head, especially when people are either in a hurry to get to work in the mornings, or get back home in the evenings.

These days that some of the government departments have introduced time clocking devices at their work places, to check workers' punctuality, it would be appropriate that the corresponding agencies make it possible for workers to get to work early, by acting to ease the traffic mayhem at some of these intersections.

It is not only in the interest of workers, but also the whole nation, since in the current situation lots of productive hours are lost in traffic, with the nation being the loser.

Moreover, when the traffic lights also cease to function, on the same narrow strips, then one begins to wonder whether our city authorities even use these same roads.

One of the most serious daily occurrences, at these intersections that have their traffic lights not working, is when you get to these places during the rush hours of the day. You find the road permanently blocked by undisciplined drives, with every driver trying hard to find a way out of the mayhem.

Sometimes some youths in those areas, elect to direct traffic at the risk of their own safety, until the police arrive to take over from them.

The Accra File believes that the Ministry of Transportation, National Road Safety Commission, and all the other organisations that have been charged with road safety in this country, need to sit up and act swiftly if there is breakdown in infrastructure in the transport sector. They should not wait until a so-called “Big man” gets involved in an accident at one of these places before they act.

The situation at the Okponglo traffic lights, near the Trinity College, is so serious that urgent steps need to be taken to forestall any mishap.

The Accra File would also bring to you soon, how commuters keep losing valuables at terminals, due to the poor urban transport system that the country has.