DEALING WITH THE TRAFFIC (APRIL 30, 2010)

ACCRA remains the heartbeat of the nation. However, over the years, commuters in the city have had to endure difficult traffic situations that usually leave them moaning over long travel hours.
The surge in the number of commercial and private cars plying roads in the capital city does not only put a strain on the roads but also sometimes raises pertinent issues related to productivity, especially when workers have to spend long hours commuting to and from work.
This trend has stirred many calls for an improved road network, and while that has always been a challenge because of resource constraints, it is good to note that efforts are being made to address this worrying trend.
One such traffic-prone road is the Spintex Road leading to what is considered one of the industrial heartbeats of the city. Many users of the Spintex Road have, time and again, lamented the torrid time they have to endure in their daily travels on the road and there have been countless appeals to the relevant agencies to provide a solution to the terrible traffic situation on the road.
In the light of this, it is refreshing to note that work has begun on the Accra Polo Club-Spintex Road aimed at reducing traffic at the Tetteh-Quarshie Interchange.
The project, together with rehabilitation works on the Spintex Road, is being funded by the government at a cost of GH¢21 million and it is expected to be completed in 12 months.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that this is a very worthy project that will contribute significantly to improve the traffic situation along the Spintex Road and ultimately contribute towards enhancing productivity in the country.
We are also impressed that the estimated duration of the construction work is 12 months. While we express our appreciation, we also wish to implore the contractors and the government to made good their commitment to ensure that the work is completed on schedule.
In the past, instead of some road construction works relieving the pain and frustration of commuters, they rather served to worsen them due to the shoddy work done or the abandoning of the projects altogether.
Such cases have also left roads in a very terrible situation, especially when it rains, and aside from increasing the maintenance cost of vehicles, such poor road conditions also raise safety issues.
It is hoped that this project will not suffer such a fate but will be expeditiously carried out and completed by the set time to bring some relief to commuters. In this regard, we urge the government to exercise effective supervision to ensure that the contractor does not only deliver on time but also constructs a very durable road.
While the government attends to the Spintex Road, we also hope that other trouble spots, such as the Accra-Kasoa, Accra-Achimota and Accra-Nungua roads, will receive due attention to ensure that the issue of congestion on the roads in the capital is addressed in a more comprehensive manner.
It is important to recognise that effective transportation is a key indicator of the level of development and also has implications for road safety and productivity.
The DAILY GRAPHIC also challenges the relevant agencies in the country concerned with the planning of our towns and cities to stringently ensure that layouts for our cities and towns are adhered to and areas marked for roads are not encroached upon.
Inasmuch as the right to demolish buildings in areas marked for roads cannot be taken away from the relevant agencies, it is sound to argue that efforts should also be made to ensure that such areas are not encroached upon, in the first place.
This will not only help avoid the pain victims of demolition exercises have to go through but also save the taxpayer the cost involved in embarking on such demolition exercises.