Danger on streets of Sekondi-Takoradi
Mororists in the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis face imminent danger as heavy duty vehicles conveying boulders for ongoing expansion works at the Takoradi Port go about their duties without the necessary precautionary measures to prevent possible danger of the rocks falling off or failure of the vehicles to move.
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Contractors for the expansion project use mainly heavy-duty flatbed vehicles which are not suited for the job of hauling boulders.
In the majority of instances, the loads on the vehicles exceeded the expected tonnage they are meant to carry. Ironically, the weighing platforms at the loading points at the quarries are no longer in place.
This means, loads carried by the heavy duty flatbed vehicles are not checked until they arrive at the Takoradi port where they get weighed, ostensibly because of monetary considerations involved.
This development has opened the floodgate for other huge vehicles including tipper trucks to also take advantage of the seeming lapse in the system to load beyond the axel load required by rule. The phenomenon has resulted in the fast deterioration of roads in the metropolis, especially in Sekondi.
Acts of loading
Quite frighteningly the flatbed articulated trucks secure their heavy loads of rocks and boulders with belts fastened against the sides of the vehicles.
The drivers, against all standards of propriety, ignore the dangers that their actions pose as they drive without care over long distances, sometimes all the way from Shama to the Takoradi Harbour.
On the way, several of the rocks fall from the back of the trucks onto the road even before they reach their destination.
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The situation has raised some concerns among residents who are questioning why the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority was not controlling the state of affairs, particularly with regard to the use of vehicles not suitable for the job of hauling rocks.
Others are also questioning when the assembly or institutions involved in the destruction of the roads will come around to repair them. So far, information available to the Daily Graphic indicates that there are no immediate plans to rehabilitate the roads.
Falling rocks
Currently, sections of streets in Sekondi/Takoradi, particularly the highway, are strewn with huge boulders that have fallen from the flatbed articulated trucks which hitherto were used for carting cocoa, cement and imported metallic containers.
About two weeks ago, a nasty incident of rocks falling from a truck occurred in front of the Western Regional Co-ordinating Council resulting in heavy vehicular traffic. In fact, traffic stood still for long hours until the boulders were cleared using an earth-moving vehicle.
At the moment, there are fallen rocks in front of the former Western Veneer Lumber Company Limited (WVLC), the suburb of Nkontompo and the street leading to the Regional Coordinating Council and other parts of the metropolis.
Speeding
Some motorists who spoke to the Daily Graphic say that aside over-loading of the articulated trucks, the drivers of other trucks with loading buckets also do travel at high speed as they attempt to make as many trips as possible to make more money for themselves.
Motorists have questioned why the law enforcement agencies and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) have ignored safety rules within the metropolis and allowed contractors to use their flatbed haulage trucks to terrorise residents unduly.
Enforcement
The law enforcement agencies contend that even though they had acted to stop the practice, unfortunately it is still persisting.
Because of the threat of danger that the phenomenon poses, the Western Regional Police Commander, DCOP Mr Isaac Alex Quainoo, has directed the contractors to halt the use of the flatbed. It is distressing to note, however, that in spite of the directive, the GPHA continues to allow these trucks to work.
Regulators
At a meeting at the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), officials of the Ghana Highway Authority maintained that they had been carrying out some snap checks and that some drivers and owners have been arrested.
They contended though that issues of loading using heavy-duty articulated flatbed trucks were not within their mandate and that it was the duty of the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) to take care of them.