Why over-reliance on road transport?
I have been following discussions about the government's plan to construct an expressway linking Accra to Kumasi.
Without a doubt, the Accra to Kumasi highway is the busiest highway in Ghana and the sub-region, second only to Nigeria's Lagos-Ibadan Highway.
Whilst commending the government on this bold initiative, I have reservations about the intended project.
Why are we overdependent on road transport instead of exploring other means of transport?
My reflection on the matter reminded me of my article published in the Daily Graphic on Monday, March 31, 2014, on the subject of the Accra-to-Kumasi electric rail.
The article captioned "We rather need electric rail" advanced the advantages of electric rail over a dual carriageway.
In that article, I pointed out that linking the two cities by rail was preferable to building a dual carriageway or expressway.
Admittedly, the initial cost of an electric rail network is much higher than that of a road network, but when considering the long-term benefits, rail transport remains the better option.
Let's take Europe as an example; the entire continent is connected by a highly effective and efficient rail network.
The system is so well-functioning that football supporters across continental Europe travel to and from stadiums by train. An efficient rail network could also enable workers in Ghana to live in Kumasi and commute daily to Accra.
The cost of transportation will be cheaper compared to road transport, and the high motor accident rates will be minimised.
The present nuisance of the numerous police checkpoints along the highway will be a thing of the past. Attracting foreign investors on a BOT basis will be more convincing than the funding needed for roads.
I know of an ongoing dualisation project on that highway.
Why can't we continue that project and think of the rail network option?
Let's hasten slowly and think of projects that have long-term value for money.
Mark Logo,
Assistant Commissioner of Customs (rtd ),
Tema.
