GEROGE WALKER BUSH N1 HIGHWAY CARNAGE IN GHANA

Carnage on the George Walker Bush N1 Highway, recently commissioned by His Excellency President John Evans Atta Mills and former President John Agyakum Kufuor, actually began even before the project was officially opened.

I have seen wreckage of crushed vehicles at different locations along the motorway and reports of various degrees of pedestrian knockdowns. So far about fifteen [15] accidents with huge losses to life and property have been recorded on the highway and taking cognizance of the fact that the road is barely a month old with a history of fifteen [15] accidents, something seriously must be done to stem the tide.

I do not subscribe to the argument that the road does not have U-turns and zebra crossings and this might have been the cause of the accidents. I am yet to see any motorway that has U-turns and Zebra crossings anywhere. I however sympathise with the concerns of the Association of Persons with Disabilities about the complete absence of facilities on the overhead foot bridges that they should have been using to cross the N1 Highway. The explanation given by the Millennium Challenge Account for this phenomenon was that the foot bridges were too high to make room for such facilities. I find that rather strange and senseless owing to the fact that the highway should have made good our laws that mandates the provision of these disability friendly facilities on all public structures and institutions. What it means is that persons with disabilities would have to go to the daily hustle of moving to the nearest traffic light junction or crossing to enable them move across the broad road.

Another obvious risk on the road is the absence of reflectors at the Dimples Roundabout. Ideally, there should be reflectors on the aluminium rails at the roundabout. It is very difficult or almost impossible for a driver in a fast moving vehicle that might be using the road for the first time, to notice that sharp roundabout from a distance as the aluminium rails do not have signals to warn drivers of the hazard. It is therefore urgent for the Road Ministry to ensure that reflectors are posted on the rails to guide drivers and motorists alike to be forewarned of the hazards posed by that roundabout.

Furthermore, our drivers seem to have thrown away the rule that one cannot exceed the 50km/h speed limit imposed on drivers on roads passing through towns and cities. Even though the N1 Highway is an extension of the Kwame Nkrumah Motorway, the highway passes through busy communities towards Mallam Junction and drivers must not be allowed to use the highway as a race court. The imposition and respect for this speed limit will enable any driver to have a good stopping and breaking distance even if met unexpectedly by any hazards on the road. The situation even becomes safer for long trucks and cargo vehicles that seem to have braking problems and longer stopping distance. Enforcing this speed limit will largely curtail the unnecessary accidents on the George Walker Bush N1 Highway.

Another factor worth mentioning is the attitude of pedestrians on the road. It is not surprising that many pedestrians choose to jump over the short rails separating the speedways instead of using the overhead bridges and to the pelican crossings on the highway. Life seems to have suddenly changed for the people using the road all day to cross over to the other side of the road on transit. Many of them are uncomfortable about walking all the way to the overhead bridge or the traffic lights to have safe crossing to the other side of the road. It is amazing that pedestrians would take these risks for granted and opt to jump over the rails rather than use the approved areas and they should have themselves to blame if they get knocked down in the process that is if they are lucky enough to live to see another day. The use of mobile phones while driving or crossing the road at unapproved sections is another matter that must attract the attention of law makers. In the United Kingdom, it is unlawful to use a mobile phone while driving and it is about time that law is considered in Ghana and imposed on drivers.

As regards road signs and traffic regulations, the population is highly ignorant of what these road signs are. In fact, there are a number of “No Stopping for Any Reason” signs along the highway and I wonder how many pedestrians and motorists understand these signs. The signs are such that only persons who have had the opportunity of attending a driving school could identify and read these road signs and that trend must be revisited. We have a number of TV and Radio stations that should lead public education of these road signs. Pedestrians cross the roads even at the places where these signs are posted because they hardly understand them let alone interpret what they mean. Public education in this area is very important to curb the situation.

On the specific issue of yesterday’s accident, a visit to the accident scene soon after it occurred and my interaction with eye witnesses revealed that the accident was largely blameable on the day-long blackout that hit the area. They blamed ‘government’ for putting off the lights; the traffic lights were off as well as the streetlights and worse of all there was no policeman stationed at that spot of the road thus handing road users a carte blanche on using the road. The people did not know why the lights went out all day only to come on soon after the accident and thus believed that it was that act by the ECG that caused the accident. As reckless as that logic was, it raises the question of our public institutions and the use of their public relations outfit. How many of our people even know that ECG sells power to GRIDCO and the latter distributes the power to our homes? What percentage of the population knows that the lights keep going off in some areas due to load shedding and what arrangements do we make to ensure that risky points as the spot where the accident occurred at Lapaz yesterday would be safe in case the lights go off by their schedule?

My fears are that very soon, traders and hawkers located at Lapaz would have no option that to take over the link roads from Nii Boiman Town, Nyamekye Junction, and other adjourning streets to ply their trade because the spaces they used to occupy have largely been taken over by the road. The space available has reduced significantly and the people need to engage in their businesses to survive. I do not want to believe that the Accra Metropolitan Assembly [AMA] would wait till the traders are comfortably located on the road before they move in to beat them up and seize their wares. It is paramount for government and the AMA to begin looking out for a well structured location for these traders along the highway or elsewhere which will solve this problem once and for all.

By all standards, the George Walker Bush N1 Highway is good news to Ghana and we should do everything possible to ensure safety and sanctity on that highway.

I extend my condolences to the families of the victims of carnage suffered on George walker Bush N1 Highway so far.