A week after a motorist, Dorinda Mawuenya Quarshie and her son nearly lost their lives in a road crash due to the non-functioning traffic light on the Graphic Road, the traffic light remains non-functioning.
Dorinda and her son were returning from a speech and prize-giving day at St. Martin de Porres were he had picked some awards. But their joyous moment turned traumatic at the traffic intersection on the Graphic Road.
Dorinda recounted the crash to Citi News; ‘I was coming from the Kaneshie side of the Graphic Road. When I got to the traffic light intersection, I took the turn that goes to Odorna. The taxi driver was coming from the Accra side. There was a car ahead of me, it went. The traffic light isn’t working so we were all not going fast but the moment the car went, I saw the cars coming. They were far away so I turned. Just when I was about to get off the road onto the Odorna route, there was a bang! I was almost off the road when the taxi hit the side of my car”.
When asked of the impact the crash had on her, Dorinda said, ‘I really don’t know how to explain it. I have been driving for 9 years now. I have never had such an experience like that. It was traumatic. Immediately I was scared and confused because my son was sitting at the passenger side and that was where the impact was. So immediately, I tried to bring the car to a full stop. I turned looked at my son, he was ok, but I was panicky. I just put the car in park, opened the door pulled my son out and fortunately, he was fine. It was traumatic’.
Sadly, a week after the crash, Dorinda observes nothing has been done to fix what could have been the entry point of death for her and her son.
“Till now the traffic lights have not been fixed. And when we were out of the car, the taxi was damaged. The driver and the passenger were injured. But while we were sitting down traumatized, most of the hawkers and passersby came by to see what had happened. For most of them, the first thing they asked was, ‘how many people died?’and the response was ‘oh nobody died’. Then the reaction was ‘oh then it’s not even serious. Everyday accidents are recorded here but the non-functioning traffic lights have still not been fixed’. We had our accident one week ago but it still hasn’t been fixed”.
Dorinda is upset at the state of affairs and wants authorities responsible to prove why they earn their salaries.
“I am sad, I am mad, I am devastated, I am frustrated because if you are living in a country where basic things like a traffic light which was the main cause of the accident is not being done, it’s very frustrating. I will like to use this opportunity to ask the authorities in charge to fix the traffic lights. Not just the Graphic Road intersection but any place that has non- functioning traffic lights. I feel this is something basic. Let other things cause accident and we will deal with that, not traffic lights’.
Citi News has made efforts to reach the Urban roads department for comment but has not been successful at it yet.
Over the last month, more than 500 recalcitrant drivers have been arrested in Citi TV’s ongoing War Against Indiscipline campaign for various road traffic infractions.
It is equally unacceptable for public officers to sit and look on while non-functioning traffic lights threaten the lives of motorists.
Just as the Police refused to accept excuses during the exercise, it must be inexcusable for traffic lights to stand or hang non-functioning without anyone answering why or being punished for it and having them fixed.