The lights go dim; Accra-Tema Motorway in focus

Driving on the 19-kilometre Accra-Tema Motorway at night is hellish, as street lights installed recently have failed to provide the expected visibility.

About two thirds of the stretch has been fixed with solar-powered street lights but motorists are still complaining about poor visibility, especially on the outer lanes.

Darkness has engulfed the motorway for a number of years now as a result of malfunctioning street lights.

Observations

However, the Daily Graphic observed last Sunday that solar-powered street lights had been installed entirely on one end, from the entrance of the motorway near the Accra Mall to the end in Tema.

Meanwhile, from the Tema end of the highway towards Accra, the street lights have been mounted only up to the Manet area, from which point there is total darkness on that side of the expressway till the toll booth.

The Daily Graphic team also observed that some of the light poles mounted in the median of the highway about 50 metres apart one another were without bulbs or malfunctioning during the checks.

A few of the poles had also been knocked down by speeding vehicles, especially around the under-bridge which connects the Spintex Road to the American House road, and that had left parts of the highway in darkness.

Damaged steetlights on the Accra-Tema Motorway stretch. Picture SAMUEL TEI ADANO

Focus

Since December last year, the Daily Graphic has focused on safety on the motorway and has produced two stories to highlight some of the acts of indiscipline that brew danger for road users.

The first story, "Motorway menace on increase", focused on some of the illegal activities perpetrated by both motorists and squatters along the expressway.

That was followed in January this year by another story titled: "Indiscipline unabated: Accra-Tema motorway without rules", which also threw light on the indiscipline on the motorway that was threatening the safety of road users.

Importance of street lighting

Street lighting has become a necessity in road construction globally to ensure the safety of road users by providing guidance and direction.

Drivers rely on improved visibility provided by street lights during night drives to avoid collisions. 

The presence of street lights also enhances the safety and ability of pedestrians  to manoeuvre along walkways and sidewalks without getting hit by reckless drivers. 

Motorists worried

Some motorists who said they plied the highway on a daily basis complained that the light-emitting diodes (LED) were dim and could not provide enough visibility during the night.

A driver of a commercial vehicle, who gave his name only as Adonai, noted that the light did not shine on the outer lanes of the highway, reducing visibility to only the inner lanes.

“The light doesn’t even reach the outer lanes, and so if you are not on the inner lane, you will face the same challenges as though there was no street light,” he said.

Another motorist, Mr Alvin Boadi, said although the lighting on the motorway was a necessity, collision with the light poles had resulted in some casualties, and that had reduced the safety effect of road lighting.

“Some of them have already broken down due to collision, so the light which was to prevent accidents is now becoming a major trigger,” he said.

To avert the situation, Mr Boadi suggested that the responsible agencies must increase education and enforce road safety regulations “consistently”, adding that “most of the accidents are the result of recklessness”.

He called on the government to instil in public agencies the culture of maintenance to help preserve the capital-intensive projects financed with taxpayers' money.

“If the government can also encourage maintenance of some of these projects, it will save taxpayers some money,” he said. 

NRSC worried too

Reacting to the observation made, the Director of Communications at the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), Mr Kwame Atuahene, said the NRSC had also made similar observations and questioned the quality of bulbs used for the street lights on the motorway.

However, he said, the commission was impressed by improvement in visibility on the country’s only motorway as a result of the installation of street lights.

Mr Atuahene said plans were far advanced for the Ministry of Energy to come up with a policy on street lights to help address issues of standards in lighting the country’s streets.

“The Ministry of Energy must fast-track the policy formulation on street lights, so that we can have a standard that will be implemented to ensure that all street lights serve the purpose for which they are mounted,” he said.

On course

The Head of Public Relations at the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), Mr Cecil Wentum, said although the Ministry of Energy was in charge of street lighting on the motorway, the authority was in talks with all stakeholders to ensure that all highways in the country were safe for users.

He said the Road Safety and Environment Division of the GHA was already working around the clock to ensure the safety of highways.

Mr Wentum noted that the GHA was presently working on a number of street lighting projects, including new works and maintenance of street lights in some parts of the country. 

The projects include the supply and installation of materials for new works and two years maintenance of street lights on the Suame Roundabout-Afrancho and the KNUST Police Station-Ejisu highways in Kumasi.

Also in the scope are similar projects on the Abedi Pele Roundabout-Shishegu-Nyankpala, the Tema Motorway Roundabout-Dawhenya, the Pantang-Aburi and the Mallam-Kasoa highways.