Drivers, pedestrians in Sunyani cry over non-functioning traffic lights
Commercial drivers and pedestrians in Sunyani, the Bono regional capital, have expressed their displeasure about the non-functioning of some traffic lights in the capital.
They have therefore appealed to the Sunyani city authorities to facilitate fixing the lights to avert possible crashes and pedestrian knockdowns in the capital.
Some of the traffic lights in the city, including the one at the Central Business District (CBD), Sunyani Municipal Hospital and the Volta River Authority enclave had not been functioning for months now.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, the commercial drivers complained the non-functioning of the traffic lights were not only obstructing them but was also causing insanity, nuisance and mess in the town.
The non-functioning of the traffic lights, according to the drivers, had led to unusual traffic jams, especially during the peak and rush hours of morning and evening.
Some of the drivers also told the GNA the worsened condition of access roads was also obstructing driving in the Sunyani town and parts of the municipality.
John Yeboah, one of them hinted that the commercial drivers were planning a protest march to register their displeasure about the situation.
When contacted, Mr John Ansu Kumi, the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive said the assembly was working with the municipal office of the Urban Roads Department to re-fix the traffic lights.
He expressed worry that some of the traffic lights in the capital were obsolete, saying ample time was therefore needed to either repair or replace them.
That notwithstanding, Mr Kumi said consultants from the Urban Development Authority through the second phase of the Sunyani Secondary City Support Project had completed feasibility studies and were therefore not only working on the traffic lights, but also working to uplift the image and beautification of the ‘city’.
Under the Secondary City Support Project, being funded by the World Bank (WB), he indicated many of the access roads in the Municipality were being reshaped.
The US$100 million WB’s International Development Association (IDA) credit project was part of the government’s broader urban development and decentralisation projects in the country.
It sought to strengthen local systems and provide the needed support to the beneficiary Municipal Assemblies for effective urban management and service delivery.
Mr. Kumi therefore entreated the drivers and residents in the municipality to be patient, saying the Municipal Assembly and the government were committed to facilitating the development of the municipality.