Traffic in Ghana

By Charles C. T. Blankson, Ph.D.
Urban, Regional & Environmental Planning
Currently residing in California, USA.
One of the first spectacles that strike any visitor to Ghana is the condition of the roads and traffic, especially in Accra.

The main roads connecting the many circles, Kwame Nkrumah, J.B. Danquah, Obetsebi-Lamptey, Ako Adjei, etc. are in fairly good condition. However, as soon as one veers from these main thoroughfares into the residential areas, even in the relatively high-income areas such as East Legon, North Legon, Cantonments, etc., one is greeted with pot holes, many of them several feet wide and deep.

In places such as Dansoman, Madina, Adenta, Ofankor, etc., this is a nightmare. During the rainy season, as happened during the latter part of June this year, one is faced with not knowing how deep are the potholes now filled with rainwater. Does one hope that the pools of water in the roadways are not too deep to swallow one's vehicle or one throws caution to the winds and just drive through, come what may?

Then the use of gravel to surface new roads leading to flying gravel smashing windscreens of oncoming vehicles needs to be seriously evaluated. For a country that does not manufacture vehicles of any kind but has to rely on imports of both vehicles and vehicle parts, the economic impact of broken axles, shafts, shock absorbers, wheels and windscreens, etc., is tremendous.

A consequence of the road conditions described above is the dust that is blown into the air by vehicles using these exposed roads. Scientific studies throughout the world have demonstrated the linkage between dust or particulate matter and asthma and other respiratory diseases.

This is compounded by smoke emissions from the many vehicles plying the city roads. Apparently, there are no laws regulating vehicle emissions in the country. Or if there are laws, there is no enforcement of these laws. In other words, not only is the economy hurting from these conditions, but the health of the population is also at serious risk.

As if the untenable condition of the roads is not bad enough, there does not seem to be any traffic management of any kind in most places. Many of the road intersections, be they T- or four-road junctions or approaches to the circles, do not have traffic signals or traffic officers manning them. The result is total gridlock, lots of yelling, horn honking, no vehicles moving, and precious time lost.

I daresay that these conditions described above did not emerge just yesterday. The attitude unfortunately seems to be that this is how things are and have been and therefore they are acceptable. It is not acceptable and government should be held responsible.

There are simple inexpensive solutions to the above problems and I would suggest just a few for consideration by the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

Traffic signals should be installed at all intersections. Left turn signals should be included in the signalization. Traffic making left turns should not be left at the mercy of some kind drivers. There should be traffic lights approaching all major roundabouts. Ever so often, say every six months or so, all unsurfaced pot-holed roads should be graded to level them out, pending the time monies would be available for permanent surfacing with bitumen or asphalt. New roads should be built to meet standards that ensure that the roads would last at least fifteen years.

Incidentally, these modest proposals, especially the grading of the roads and the repair and maintenance of the road equipment, would have the added benefit of creating new jobs and reducing unemployment. Whether handled in-house by the Ministry of Transport and Communications or through competitive bidding for the private sector to implement, these employment benefits would be achieved.

Ghana has been lauded internationally as one of the few Sub-Saharan countries with governments that reasonably function. We are the envy of our fellow Africans. What this means is that we are capable of doing better. Let's not settle for less.

Charles C. T. Blankson, Ph.D.
11697 Malagon Drive
Fontana, CA 92337-0924
U.S.A.
cblankson@sbcglobal.net

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