<<Print>>

The issue of traffic congestions in our major cities is a big problem that needs to be dealt with head on. The nation�s capital, Accra represents the worst case scenario, with many of its roads remaining chocked all day, all night. The weekends have been no exception, even though it is expected that many formal sector employees are off the roads during the period. Road corridors such as Spintex, the Kaneshie-Mallam Kasoa route, Tetteh-Quashie Lapez-Mallam, Achimota-Ofanko, just mention a few, are always choked. The very names of places such as Accra central, Osu, Lapaz, and Madina have become synonymous with traffic congestions. The real cause of these traffic situations to the nation is astronomical. Going beyond the discomfort commuters endure under our scorching sun, pollution from these stationary vehicles can be very hazardous for road users. Hundreds of litres of fuel also go waste as a result of the massive congestions. Even more serious is the number of man hours that gets wasted by the day and its effect on the country�s overall output. Many have to leave their offices very late to avoid traffic, and at the same time vacate their homes at dawn to ensure they arrive at their places of work early enough. There are other groups who leave their offices way ahead of closing time, all in their attempt to avoid the strenuous nature of the traffic. The effect of all these on productivity can be costly. With Ghana pushing to attain a middle income status, many more vehicles are expected on our roads and the traffic situation can be expected to worsen if nothing serious is done immediately. It is therefore prudent to act now. It is for this reason that we totally support government�s efforts at mobilizing more resources for the development of the road sector through the increases in road tolls. Whilst efforts are being made to reconstruct some of the major transit routes in our cities, construction companies should be concerned with traffic management issues in order to lessen the troubles of passengers. We occasionally see construction workers block roads without prior notice to the public. It should be possible to create alternative routes before re-construction works resume on major roads. In dealing with the real issues at stake, we at the Financial Intelligence believe that the introduction of more effective public transport systems hold the key. This has worked perfectly in other economies and can work in Ghana. The construction of mass transit routes is long over-due. The metro mass transit company should be made to refocus on intra-city routes so as to make meaningful impact. The provision of more buses is critical and the regularity of scheduled movements of these buses can allow for planning. Another panacea to the problem could be the introduction of an effective rail transport system. The development of a rail network to serve the Accra-Tema metropolis and adjoining towns such as Nsawam, Winneba and Dodowa has always remained on the drawing board. Elsewhere, trail transport has been effective in dealing with regular movement of people from one point to the other. Many have their own private vehicles but go by this arrangement for its aptness. An intra-city rail network will create many jobs and reduce the pollution resulting from the use of an increasing number of cars. Let us for once have someone who will not only talk, but act. The unending congestion in Accra needs to be dealt with seriously if our dream of making Ghana the gateway to Africa will become a reality.