The Roads and Highways Minister, Kwasi Amoako-Atta says government is committed to improving the country’s road infrastructure.
He said only 39% of the about the 78,000 kilometres of roads in the country is in good shape.
Some Ghanaians in parts of the country have resorted to demonstrations to draw the government’s attention to the deplorable nature of roads in their communities.
Sector Minister, Kwasi Amoako Atta in a Citi News interview was unhappy with the state of most of the roads in the country is embarrassing.
He said the government is committed to improving the situation and is thus investing a lot of resources into the sector.
He expressed optimism that the results of those investments will soon be seen.
“[For the roads in Ghana] 62 years after independence, it is nothing to write home about. We should bow down our heads in shame. That is why the government of President Akufo-Addo is tackling the roads sector with all seriousness and speed. A lot of being done and we will continue on that tangent.”
Although road infrastructure receives huge financial resources for expansion, rehabilitation and construction works, not much has improved across the country due to challenges including shoddy work by contractors.
Some roads develop potholes and cracks a few months after their competition.
Others are washed off after a downpour.
The effect of these includes long travel time for commuters, motor accidents and high expenditure by drivers on vehicle maintenance.
Utility services, telcos damaging our roads – Minister
The Roads Minister also bemoaned what he says is the lack of professionalism exhibited by utility services and telecommunications companies in the laying of pipes along roads.
According to Kwasi Amoako-Atta some of the culprits embark on such activities secretly without permission from his outfit and end up causing serious damage to the roads.
“They do it by themselves without reporting or seeking prior approval from the Ministry. And when they are done they try to fix it, but they do it so unprofessionally that they cause damage to the road. The professional way out which is of international standard is that; in designing the road we should incorporate in it the provision of ducts so that the ducts could run through the median or by the side of the road so that the utility lines would go through them without cutting across the road.”