For some time now, the various road medians across the country, once envisioned as vibrant green spaces enhancing our urban landscapes, have changed into unsightly stretches overgrown with weeds and littered with trash.
Globally, medians are constructed as important features of road designs with attractive green outlooks, but in Ghana these medians, initially intended to host ornamental trees and beautify our cities, are more likely to host grass cutters than provide any aesthetic appeal.
It would be recalled that in 2022, Adwoa Duku, the Greater Accra Regional Director of the Department of Urban Roads assured the public that the medians in the central business districts across the country would be cleared every two months. This commitment came as a response to the evident neglect of the road medians.
However, as we speak today, with the current state of these medians, it is evident that the promised maintenance schedule has not been upheld. Weeds have reclaimed these spaces and the once-promised beautiful scenery has turned into a miserable display of neglect.
The failure to maintain our road medians not only detracts from the beauty of our cities, but also poses potential safety hazards, obstructing road users’ visibility and contributing to an overall sense of disorder.
The Department of Urban Roads must be held accountable for this lapse. It is crucial to ask whether they have lived up to their mandate and what measures are being taken to rectify the situation. The initial promise to clear the medians every two months has clearly failed to work. It is, therefore, time to reassess and enforce a more rigorous maintenance strategy.
The department must designate specific teams or individuals to ensure that the medians are regularly maintained. This task should not be seen as an occasional chore, but ongoing responsibility crucial to urban management. Regular monitoring and clear accountability structures are essential to ensure that these teams perform their duties effectively.
Additionally, the involvement of community service programs or even prisoners could be considered as a viable option. Engaging prisoners in this road maintenance work, potentially on a monthly basis, could provide a steady workforce. Such programs have been successfully implemented in various parts of the world. For instance, China is known for using prison labour in the construction of roads and other infrastructure works.
In our view, the Green Ghana Day project is also an extraordinary opportunity for all Ghanaians to contribute in making our country greener and habitable.Since the programme started, several trees have been planted along our major roads.
However, The Chronicle holds the view that it is not enough to engage in tree planting exercises, but also stringent measures should be put in place for continuous care and attention to preserve their intended purpose and aesthetic appeal.
It is a task that requires collective effort and sustained commitment from all Ghanaians.
