Parliament passes National Road Authority Bill; Bill merges 3 agencies

The Parliament of Ghana has passed the National Roads Authority Bill, 2023.

The bill, which was passed last Thursday, establishes the National Roads Authority as the unified body responsible for the planning, development, maintenance and management of the national road network in Ghana and to provide for other matters. 

The authority will bring three key agencies, namely; the Ghana Highway Authority, the Department of Urban Roads and the Department of Feeder Roads, under a unified authority.

It will also put together the management of national roads in Ghana under a uniform authority, while leaving local roads under the management of the metropolitan, municipal and district assembles (MMDAs). 

This integration aims to streamline operations, enhance coordination and maximise the impact of investments in the road sector to serve the needs of both urban and rural areas. 

The passage of the bill followed the moving of a motion in the House by the Minister of Roads and Highways, Francis Asenso-Boakye, and the third reading of the bill.

If assented to by the President, the Authority will further seek to address the limitations posed by the current structure of the road sector. 

Effective coordination 

A memorandum accompanying the bill said the “lack of coordination and separate mandates among existing agencies had led to duplicated efforts, insufficient maintenance, inconsistent standards and project delays. 

“These challenges have had adverse effects on the quality, safety and sustainability of the road network, thus impeding economic growth and social development,” he said.

Furthermore, the memorandum said factors such as escalating traffic volume and inadequate maintenance had exacerbated the problem. 

“Recent developments in the road sector had underscored the urgent requirement for a unified authority capable of effectively tackling the challenges facing the road network,” it said.

“These developments encompass growing demands for improved infrastructure, evolving transportation patterns and advancements in technology. 

“The establishment of the National Roads Authority is therefore vital for the achievement of a well-planned, well-maintained and safe road network in Ghana,” it added.

Management streamline 

Mr Asenso-Boakye was optimistic that the authority would streamline the management of Ghana's national roads by bringing together the three key agencies currently under his ministry “into a single authority.”

“Under the new arrangement, the management of trunk roads, arterial roads, collector roads and district and inter-district roads would be placed under the jurisdiction of the National Roads Authority,” he said.

It will be recalled that last year, the Cabinet approved the establishment of the National Roads Authority to address some pertinent challenges in the roads sector such as lack of coordination, duplicated efforts, insufficient maintenance, inconsistent standards and project delays.

These challenges adversely affect the quality, safety and sustainability of the road network, thus impeding economic growth and social development.