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Residents of Trasacco Valley in Accra have expressed frustration over their inability to easily access the Accra-Tema Motorway from their community.

The residents have stated that they are ready to contribute towards the construction of an approved stretch from their areas to the Motorway.

They lament that the non-existence of an approved route from the area to the Motorway makes it extremely difficult to for them to commute from their homes to the Central Business District. 

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, the lead petitioner, Priscilla Ashiam said they [Trasacco residents] are also ready to pay tolls once a route is constructed.

An unapproved stretch was created to enable the residents to link directly with the Motorway but that has been blocked, with the Roads Ministry describing it as illegal.

Priscilla Ashiam said they were told that the route was blocked because they were accessing the route without paying some monies to the state.

“When we heard the import of the issue, the matter was we were evading taxes and revenue. We are more than willing to pay and even pay a premium to get onto the Motorway,” she said.

She lamented that she doesn’t see the need for residents to waste productive time in traffic while there is an access route which is properly supervised.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways, Anthony Karbo has welcomed the initiative by the community to pay to have access to the motorway through the already existing route.

He said the government was aware of the situation and is working to have it addressed as soon as possible.

“Those problems currently exist and we are working on it, first of all, if you look at the Trasacco end of the road, those who live in that area trying to get onto the motorway. You would have observed that the community is growing along the Motorway, and therefore there is the need for the entire redesign work to kick into accounts. How to get those people to pay tolls in order to join the Motorway, but doing so in a way that it doesn’t pose any safety situation [is the issue].” the deputy minister said.