Robbers Steal Street Lights On Accra-Tema Motorway

Street lights which were fixed on the Accra-Tema Motorway by government through the ministry of energy and petroleum to curb road traffic accident and nocturnal activities have been stolen by thieves, Today can report. On Saturday, January 10, 2015 when a team of Today reporters drove on the motorway it was discovered that a total of twenty-five (25) poles of the street lights had broken down with the bulbs on them removed by criminals. The non-functioning street lights on Accra-Tema motorway, according to our investigations, have given cause for motorists to panic as their lives could further be endangered through road crashes on that stretch of the road. A taxi driver in Tema, Mr. Agbenyefiah Ayidzi, who spoke to Today complained bitterly that without the streetlights he and his fellow motorists feared being attacked by miscreants who mount illegal blocks on the road. According to him, without the street lights, it would be difficult for drivers to see potholes on the road in the night. Ayidzi went on to state that he would find it difficult to stop and pick passengers for fear of being attacked. He, therefore, urged government to, as a matter of urgency, install new street lights on the Accra-Tema motorway to prevent any form of calamity. Education Director of the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Department, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Alex Obeng, was reported to have stated that though the police have intensified their presence on the roads, they were helpless because of the absence of the street lights. He also called on the authorities to ensure that all the broken down light poles were fixed. Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Mr. John Jinapor, has disclosed that it has set up a team to execute the Accra street light fitting project intended to fix all malfunctioning street lights in the capital. According to him, the project would not only beautify Accra and its environs, but would involve security personnel who will be tasked to go after criminals. Many roads in the capital, notably the Accra-Tema motorway, the N1 Highway, as well as the Tetteh Quarshie-Madina Highway are without street lights which situation portends danger for both motorists and commuters.