About 20 traffic controllers and 31 cables that enable traffic lights to function have been either stolen or vandalised by thieves in Accra.
Each controller, depending on the capacity, is said to cost between GH¢80,000 and GH¢180,000.
The practice is prevalent at controllers sited at various locations in Accra including Airport, Kanda, Awoshie, Osu, Burma Camp, Cantonments, Ashaiman, Bawaleshie, CBD, Tse Addo.
Mr Neville Dodoo-Quartey, Principal Engineer, Department of Urban Road, disclosed this in Accra yesterday during a multi-stakeholder engagement on non-functioning traffic and street lights.
He said the cost of replacement is equivalent to undertaking new installations, adding that it imposed additional financial burden on the ministry and the taxpayer for prompt restoration and timely maintenance.
“These are expensive equipment. It cost between GH¢80,000 to GH¢180,000 depending on the capacity. These theft cases and vandalism is causing financial loss to the state,” he said.
In addition to the vandalism and theft, he noted that, vehicular crashes had also contributed significantly to non-functioning traffic and street lights in the country.
He said an inventory undertaken by the Ministry of Roads and Highways on malfunctioning traffic lights across the country indicated that a significant number of them were due to vehicular crashes, theft, and vandalism.
The absence of street lights, Mr Dodoo-Quartey said had resulted in the increase of vehicular crashes, theft, and vandalism of traffic control infrastructure, particularly traffic lights.
“When traffic signals are dysfunctional, it undermines the efficient movement of vehicles and pedestrians. Vulnerable users like pedestrians are exposed, while vehicles have greater risk of collisions, and enables indiscipline,” he noted.
The ministry, he said, had begun a nationwide exercise to restore malfunctioning traffic lights and would collaborate with the police to patrol areas where such incidents happened to prevent it reoccurrence.
He called on the public to assist by reporting such incidents timeously to ensure that all persons who caused damage to public road infrastructure were made to face the full rigours of the law as stipulated in LI. 2180.
As part of efforts to manage the traffic situation in Accra, he explained that, the first phase of the Accra Traffic Management Centre had been completed to ensure efficient vehicular traffic flow, mitigate road congestion, and improve the socioeconomic productivity of the capital.
The Acting Director of National Road Safety Authority, David Adonteng, expressed concern about the challenges motorists, drivers, pedestrians and motorcycle riders were exposed to in the absence of street and traffic lights.
“Visibility becomes very crucial when one is using the road, we need the lights to be able to travel on our roads and manoeuvre to safety,” he said
The NRSA, he noted, was working with other stakeholders to help in the reduction of road accident through awareness creation and re-training of drivers.
“The responsibility is not only on the NRSA. We must all work in collaboration so that we can minimise road crashes,” he said.
BY AGNES OPOKU SARPONG
