The Minority Caucus in Parliament has called on the government to urgently complete ongoing works on the Accra-Kumasi Highway, arguing that doing so could help prevent the recurring fatal accidents that continue to claim lives along the country’s busiest transport corridor.
The appeal follows Tuesday’s deadly multi-vehicle collision at Birimso Bridge, on the Accra-Kumasi Highway, in which at least 15 people are feared dead, with several others sustaining injuries.
In a statement issued yesterday and signed by the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Roads and Transport Committee, Kennedy Nyarko Osei, the Minority described the crash as a national tragedy and expressed condolences to the bereaved families.
“On behalf of the Minority Caucus, we extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families. We also sympathise with those who sustained injuries and wish them a speedy and full recovery,” the statement said.
The Caucus said it stood in solidarity with all those affected by what it described as a heartbreaking incident.
Beyond expressing sympathy, the Minority used the occasion to renew calls for urgent intervention on the Accra-Kumasi Highway, insisting that the latest accident underscores the pressing need to tackle longstanding safety concerns on the route.
According to the Caucus, the nation cannot continue to witness repeated fatal crashes on the highway without decisive action.
“This unfortunate incident is yet another painful reminder of the urgent need to address the longstanding safety challenges on the Accra-Kumasi Highway.
“Far too many lives have been lost on this highway and the nation cannot continue to accept these recurring tragedies as inevitable,” the statement stressed.
The Minority appealed to the government to prioritise the completion of all ongoing sections of the highway, including existing bypasses and other unfinished works, while plans for the proposed Accra-Kumasi Expressway continue.
The Caucus noted that government has committed US$1.7 billion for the proposed Accra-Kumasi Expressway Project, with the funds reportedly set aside in an escrow account at the Bank of Ghana.
However, it argued that about US$300 million would be sufficient to complete the current bypasses and ongoing works on the existing highway.
While acknowledging the importance of the proposed expressway as a long-term infrastructure project, the Minority maintained that completing the existing highway should take precedence because of its immediate impact on road safety.
“While the long-term vision of constructing an expressway is commendable, the immediate priority should be to complete the existing highway that can save lives now,” the statement said.
The Minority further urged government to treat the completion of the outstanding highway works as a matter of national urgency, saying expediting the project would help reduce the frequency of fatal crashes while preparations for the larger expressway project continue.
The Accra-Kumasi Highway remains one of Ghana’s busiest road corridors and has, over the years, recorded numerous fatal road crashes, prompting repeated calls from road safety advocates and policymakers for accelerated improvement works.
For more news, join The Chronicle Newspaper channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBSs55E50UqNPvSOm2z
