Bolgatanga Assembly Must Fix Dysfunctional Traffic Lights

The primarily purpose of traffic lights is to facilitate the safe movement of cars, preventing collisions, and also protect pedestrians from reckless drivers or motorists. Due to their function, they are strategically installed at intersections and roundabouts.

In Bolgatanga, the capital of the Upper East Region, there are six intersections (no roundabouts) where traffic lights are installed. These are Regional Police Headquarters intersection, MTN Regional Office intersection, Commercial Street intersection near the Municipal Police Station, Total 3 Filling Station intersection, Bank of Africa intersection near the Agriculture Development Bank, and the Social Security National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) intersection.

Out of this number, only one – SSNIT traffic lights – is functioning, while the MTN Regional Office traffic light is now a complete death-trap. Because, only one part of the traffic lights (from the taxi rank direction) is functioning. From Estates direction heading towards Navrongo, the traffic light is off, but from the Navrongo direction towards Estates it is functioning.

This is a disaster in waiting, because when motorists from either Estates or Navrongo direction – note that this is a highway – have their faces off, they conclude the whole set of the traffic lights is off and will continue moving.

When suddenly, the light indicates green from the taxi rank direction, all motorists from Navrongo and Estates directions often get caught in the middle of the intersection. This situation has led to some minor crashes at this section of the road.

The remaining traffic lights work like disco lights. Sometimes they function from a distance, but as motorists approach, they go off and spontaneously great a chaotic scene.

Until recently, when local radio stations in the municipality waged a persistent war against the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly and Urban Roads Department for failing to fix the dysfunctional traffic lights, they had not functioned for almost two years.

The explanation by the Municipal Chief Executive, Joseph Amiyuure, was that the assembly had given the contract of repairing the traffic lights to an engineer in Accra, and within the period they were dysfunctional, the engineer was busy in other parts of the country fixing similar problems.

His explanation infuriated many residents who joined in the media war, because they did not understand why the assembly could not find any engineer in the region to fix the problem. Pressure was mounted on the authorities until they got the lights fixed.

However, little did the people know that the work done was entirely fake. One week after the traffic lights were fixed, they started showing signs of malfunctioning, and eventually, they are back to nothing.

The Chronicle is reminding the administrators of the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly that the residents deserve better. In fact, they pay for the traffic lights each time they purchase electricity, either for domestic or commercial use. They pay taxes and all manner of levies the assembly imposes on them.

Again, as a regional capital, strategically located, and sharing boundaries with neighbouring countries like Togo and Burkina Faso, one sure way of ensuring safety on the township roads is to have the traffic and street lights working. The issue about street lighting is another subject for another day.

The Chronicle would like to suggest to the assembly to compare the cost of repairing these old traffic lights with the cost of installing new ones, before any attempts are made again in repairing them.

A value-for-money audit should be done so that funds that could have been used to install brand new traffic lights is not pumped into repairing the old ones which will not last.

More importantly, human lives are at risk. The Municipal Assembly and the Department of Urban Roads should not wait until a calamity befalls the people as a result of the dysfunctional traffic lights before reactionary measures are put in place.

Mr. MCE, the time to act is now! Get the traffic lights fixed to avoid a calamity!