The heavy vehicular traffic in most parts of Accra will not cease soon, at least, not until the Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service recruits more men.
According to the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the MTTD, Inspector Simon Tenku the current traffic congestion problem is due to inadequate personnel.
Speaking on Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, Simon Tenku said, the MTTD as part of its strategy to manage the traffic situation in the capital has deployed personnel who patrol on motorbikes and on foot to ensure order and free flow of traffic.
“Generally we look at the where the situation is much problematic and I must say that with those on motorbikes, they do patrol and wherever they find the situation chaotic, they make their presence felt over there. ”
When asked why the traffic situation had worsened on the Amasaman – Circle highway by host, Bernard Avle, Inspector Tenku said, “[There situation] is that we don’t have enough men to cover all the intersections and bus stops on the stretch.”
He also blamed the situation on the upcoming Christmas season which he said encouraged most people from different parts of the country to travel to the Accra especially the central business district.
“The season we find ourselves in has somewhat become a perennial affair. Christmas is just around the corner and the traffic build up is not just within the Accra-Tema metropolis a lot of vehicles are coming from the hinterlands and some even from the West Coast to do their shopping in Accra so the buildup is becoming a challenge.”
“Another problem we face especially in the Central Business district is, we have a challenge with parking space and this is because of the demand and more people trooping towards the Central Business district.”
He however noted that the Police administration was “on top of the issues and there is a national operational order to make sure some of these things are checked.”
Ahead of this year’s Christmas festivities, many drivers have expressed dissatisfaction at the traffic situation in Accra. Most highways in the capital are consistently characterised by heavy vehicular traffic.
Some passengers have said the situation is affecting their productivity as they often have to spend working hours in traffic and sometimes leave the office early enough to avoid the rush hour in the evening.
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)