The Minister of Roads and Highways, Hon. Kwesi Amoako-Atta has stated that the fight against road accidents require professionalism and collectivism. The minister bemoaned that most of the accidents happen on the good portions of our roads.
“Road accidents, very broad question which has to be dealt with professionally. All of us are clamoring for good roads but regrettably, the more we improve the roads, then the more drivers will want to put their driving proficiency to test. We are recording fatal accidents on the excellent road portions of our network”.
At a press briefing today, Sunday, May 23, 2021, Hon. Amoako-Atta highlighted that drivers are mostly the cause of the road crashes in the country. He cited wrongful overtaking, over speeding, drink-driving as some of the bad attitudes of drivers that often result in road accidents.
Also, he lamented the congestion on our roads. He pointed out that it has severe economic cost and health implications as well. Nevertheless, he highlighted that his ministry is currently working hard to find innovative ways of easing congestion on the roads.
“Congestion is very important for obvious reasons. If possible, there shouldn’t be congestion on our roads because it retards progress economically and it has health implications. So, we are concern about it. I’m happy to announce that about a month ago, I set up three key committees in my ministry to look at three key issues. One of them was on congestion”.
Moreover, Hon. Amoako-Atta indicated that his ministry has been to several areas to access how best to ease congestion on those roads. He then revealed that contractors have commenced work on the kpong intersection to ease congestion there.
“Each of these places, I’m happy to announce that we have find solutions to them and the engineers and agency heads have taken them up. Some, we are doing quick bypasses to temporally deal with the situation”.
However, he assured that the long-term realization program will provide a permanent solution to congestion on the roads.
Also, touching on speed ramps, he said that the ministry has seen most of the speed ramps as problematic. He indicated that his outfit has received several complains from the people about speed ramps in the country.
“The public complains, the market women complain. Government is in place to deal with the concerns of the people. So, there is another committee… So, they are doing speed ramp audit across the country and where we have to remove them, we are going to remove them”.
Road tolls conversation
Meanwhile, the government has announced plans to increase road tolls at part of its efforts to raise enough revenues to finance its expenditure. Responding to the questions on the road tolls, the minister indicated that the government will increase the tolls. He explained that the ministry is doing its underground work and at the right time Ghanaians will see an increment.
“It’s coming up. It’s something that must go thorough cabinet. You cannot stand up and increase road tools. Our country pays the lowest toll, the whole world. The people of Ghana should brace themselves up for an increment in the road tolls”.
Furthermore, the Roads Minister hinted on the construction of an express road in the country. According to the minister, this road will link Accra and Kumasi. He pointed out that the road will be designed in such a way that it will be impossible for people to settle along it. He added that it will also be impossible for people to hawk along the road.
He, however, indicated that the Accra-Tema motorway used to be an express road but has now seized to be because of the springing up of settlements along the road. Meanwhile, he added that such a road will attract higher road tolls.
Meanwhile, the minister reaffirmed the Finance Minister’s assertions that it will cost $10 billion to fix all the roads in the country. He indicated that they arrived at that figure based on a thorough research they had conducted in the country. Amoako-Atta Amoako-Atta Amoako-Atta
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