Govt urged to develop dual carriage highways

The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) has urged the government to invest in the development of dual carriage highways across the country to prevent accidents that result from head-on collision.

The institute, in a statement issued to the media in Accra last Wednesday, also advised the government to consider the dualisation of all existing highways to ease the transportation of goods across the country to boost economic activities.

The President of CILT, Mr Ebo Hammond, who signed the statement, indicated that the institute’s council had already presented some policy recommendations to the Ministry of Roads and Highways that captured those suggestions.

Read Also: Owner of seized cables criticises action of National Security

Mr Hammond said the key highways in the country, including the Elubo-Takoradi-Cape Coast-Accra-Aflao and Accra-Kumasi-Tamale-Paga highways must be considered for expansion as they remain the key roads that connect the country to its neighbours.

He said the development of those highways, though imminent, was to be done gradually with funding arrangements that involved the private sector through Private Public Partnerships (PPP).

“Their development may be done in phases with funding arrangements such as BOOT and other PPP types,” he said.

According to the statement, the CILT as a professional body for transport, logistics and supply chain, had a holistic understanding of the core business of the Ministry of Roads and Highways and its agencies and had therefore compiled a list of policy recommendations to the ministry to support the government to achieve its objectives in the road sector.

Govt on right path

The CILT commended the government for taking steps to construct dedicated lanes for emergencies and high occupancy buses to help facilitate emergency medical evacuation and to facilitate BRT.

He added that the institute was happy with the reconstruction of a 19.5 kilometre Accra-Tema Motorway into a six-carriageway to ease the flow of vehicular traffic and mentioned that it would enhance the economic productivity.

The institute also commended the government for ensuring value for money in the award and execution of roads contracts.

Cement for road construction

Mr Hammond pointed out that the CILT was in support of the proposed policy of using cement to construct roads in Ghana as announced by the Vice-President.

Read Also: $100 Million required to reclaim ‘galamsey’ lands

This will create new jobs for masons and other artisans beyond the housing sector to save the nation from spending its hard-earned foreign exchange on bitumen and also boost the local production of cement, Mr Hammond said.

He said though using cement to construct road might be expensive, it would be cost effective because it would last longer than the usual asphalt roads.

Road markings

The CILT also proposed to the ministry a constant monitoring of major roads to ensure that faded road markings were re-marked to improve night driving, especially in the absence of streetlights on most highways.

“The ministry must go back to study and take notice of the coherent and thoroughly researched Integrated Transport Plan (ITP) developed for Ghana in 2010 and forecasted through to 2035 for implementation and factor it into the new transport policy.” — GB