A FOCUS ON PUBLIC SAFETY

Issues of safety must be issues of great concern to developing nations. As nations that are in search of development, they open up their economies to all forms of development proposals some of which are detrimental to the nations.

It is important to stress the point that, quality is better than quantity that would end up leaving more pains in the hearts of citizens of a nation.

Quite significantly, our country appears to have laws and institutions created by law and charged with responsibilities that are recognised by the laws that established them.

What appears rather challenging is that, projects marked for development appears not to receive much attention from such regulatory agencies until the unexpected happens.

We have witnessed the panic reactions when the Melcom building collapsed at Neoplan near Achimota. Similar situation occurred near Cantonments. All these had resulted in deaths that left pains and scars in the hearts of families and loved ones.

In the construction of roads, which is an area invested into by government, safety issues are not regarded as a priority.

This has accounted for the loss of many lives rather needlessly. What benefit do citizens derive from roads constructed that leaves them in danger than before?

Issues of these nature existed on the George Bush Highway until some efforts were channeled at resolving them. One may ask if the construction of foot bridges had never been part of road constructions awarded to contractors. Today, irrespective of the fact that foot bridges have been constructed or perhaps completed after several lives were lost, the distance between one foot bridge and the other is such an unbearable situation. Take for instance, the distance between Fly Top and Abrante3. That reflects the distance between two foot bridges just as they are sited in the places mentioned.

This results in pedestrians who find themselves anywhere between the two foot bridges finding themselves running through the road at the least available opportunity, exposing them to various forms of danger.

A ride around Tetteh Quarshie would reveal foot bridges being mounted on a road that had been constructed for over seven years.

I have observed the delays in completing the foot bridges marked on the Tetteh Quarshie-Adenta stretch. The road construction seems to have been concluded and opened to traffic. Yet, lives are being subjected to dangers that are preventable. Just at Zongo Junction heading from Tetteh Quarshie to Adenta, is a foot bridge in front of the Prudential bank.

On a few occasions, I have had to cross that broad road. If one is lucky, there would be the presence of police officers whose interests had always been fixed on how to manage vehicular traffic, leaving the human traffic to resolve its own issues by running across the various links when they deem “appropriate”.

Just after the Junction near the Ghana Commercial Bank is another foot bridge left uncompleted apart from the overpaas across the road. This has opened another danger to citizens who would wish to cross the road along that stretch. What even makes the situation worse is that, the middle of the road had been blocked making it virtually impossible for one to cross.

Just beyond that structure is another one left uncompleted near the Pentecost Church, and another at the SDA Junction, and then another near the old Adenta station.

These are issues that bothers on pedestrian safety. As a matter of fact, road constructions are meant to give easy access to drivers as well as better opportunities for pedestrians to access and use routes that makes their lives equally comfortable.

I have held the Tetteh Quarshie-Adenta road as one of the best roads. One may want to extend it to Kitase. This is one road that has provisions for vehicles, bicycle riders as well as pedestrians.

The beauty of this stretch is marred by these numerous defects that had ended up deforming the otherwise beautiful road.

I would urge government, to, as a matter of urgency, complete the remaining structures to make uses of these roads safer for the citizens whose lives it wasted to change and transform.

ASK