Road users in the Greater Accra Region are battling insecurity following the inability of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to light up major streets at night. The situation leaves drivers, passengers and pedestrians exposed to grave danger.
Motorists, in particular, complain that it is nearly impossible to drive safely on such stretches due to the magnitude of darkness, a development that contradicts assurances given by the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Madam Linda Ocloo, during her vetting in Parliament, where she pledged to prioritise street lighting as part of her social contract with Ghanaians.
Although a few roads are properly illuminated, the majority remain engulfed in darkness.
Among the notable dark spots observed by The Chronicle are the Achimota Overhead stretch, Achimota School area, Achimota Police Station, John Kufuor Avenue and the George Walker Bush Highway. Other areas are Tema Motorway, Agyiriganor, Ashaley Botwe, among several others.
A fact-finding mission by The Chronicle revealed that the state of night-time visibility is so poor that parts of Accra “look like a village.”
Drivers interviewed expressed deep concern, linking the absence of functional streetlights to the growing risk of accidents.
One motorist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “The streets are so dark that we struggle to see potholes, which could easily lead to accidents. Sometimes pedestrians also wear clothes that are not reflective. With the entire stretch in darkness, if a driver is not careful, tragedy can occur.”
He questioned why the problem has been allowed to fester: “Is it just bulbs? How much does it cost to purchase a bulb?”
Another driver, Ebo Francis, described the N1 Highway as a “death trap” at night, calling for urgent attention.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Alhaji Abbas Ibrahim Imoro, admitted that the situation is a serious challenge to the transport sector.
He lamented that while driving becomes easier when streetlights function, most remain faulty, citing the stretch from Korle-bu Mortuary to Korle Gonno and the Abossey Okai enclave as prime examples.
“If you use the Korle Bu to Korle Gonno road, the whole place is in total darkness. A well-lit street saves lives because lighting directly affects visibility. This is why we must invest in functional streetlights,” he said.
Efforts by The Chronicle to obtain a response from the Public Relations Officer of the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC) proved futile.
Despite several calls over two days, as well as WhatsApp and SMS messages, she did not respond.
