For years, many Ghanaians who ply the Pokuase–Nsawam road on the Accra-Kumasi Highway have been embarking on a journey of endurance and a danger to themselves, abusing their economic right as citizens, but no one seemed to care.
This is the observation of the West African Regional Director of the CUTS International, Appiah Kusi Adomako Esq.
What should be a routine and a normal day commute has turned into a punishing ordeal of potholes, gridlocks, inflated fares, and rising vehicle repair costs due to the abandonment by the contractor working on the road.
For such a major and busy highway which connects the two largest cities in the country, and also links Ghana to other West African neighbours, link Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, it was expected that construction would have been handled with maximum attention and speed.
But for many months now, the dusty, potholed stretch has been laying bare and has been worsened by the rains.
In an interaction with The High Street Journal, the boss of the consumer welfare Civil Society Organization (CSO) minced no words, describing the ordeal of commuters on the deplorable road as nothing short of an abuse of commuters’ economic welfare.
High Fares, Heavy Burden
For Adomako Kusi Appiah, passengers are enduring a double slap. While they endure the bad road, it also drains their pocket. Taxi drivers and trotro operators, grappling with higher fuel consumption and constant vehicle breakdowns, are charging extra to offset their costs.
What used to be an affordable ride for workers, traders, and students has become a financial strain.
“Every consumer and road user has the right to safe roads. Unfortunately, our roads have become highways to death. The poor condition of the road has forced some drivers to charge commuters extra fares, which is affecting the economic welfare of consumers,” he told The High Street Journal.
Vehicles Breaking Down, Livelihoods at Risk
Moreover, drivers who ply the road daily are paying the price in repairs. These days, it will be a strange scene to not find a broken-down vehicle on the stretch. Bent rims, worn-out suspensions, burst tyres, and broken axles have become common tales, causing drivers to lament to whoever will listen to them.
This is a new layer of cost to drivers who use the unbearable stretch of road. The ordeal of private motorists is not different. The poor road has turned what should be a straightforward commute into a costly gamble on their cars’ durability.
The consumer protection advocate and an economist noted that, “For drivers who ply this stretch, maintenance costs have increased, raising the overall running costs of their vehicles.”
No Other Alternatives
What makes the situation dire for both private and commercial users is that there is virtually no alternative route for commuters. The government’s delayed action has left commuters with little choice. The Nsawam–Aburi route, while available, is inconvenient for many, especially those living on that stretch.
The CUTS Director stressed that beyond inconvenience, the current state of the road undermines the basic rights of consumers to safety and dignity. For him, the situation is not just about infrastructure. It’s about the welfare of ordinary Ghanaians, workers, students, market women, and drivers whose daily survival depends on this road.
He said, “The government’s delayed action has placed both financial burdens and severe inconvenience on commuters. Sadly, there is no viable alternative route, except for Nsawam–Aburi, which is not convenient for everyone.”
A Call for Expedited Construction
The little good news is that the contractor who abandoned the site, leaving commuters to their fate, after a governmental intervention, has returned. But the hope of many is that it won’t be a nine-day wonder.
Appiah Kusi Adomako says he only hopes that they expedite actions on the road to avert the possible sit-down strike threatened by the commercial drivers on Thursday. He further calls on the road users to keep an eye on the progress and hold the feet of the government and the contractor accountable.
“We have seen the contractor return to the site. I only hope this is not a superficial move to avert the planned drivers’ action on Thursday. Road users should remain vigilant until contractors are deployed across the entire stretch of the road,” he charged.
For now, all eyes are on the government and the contractor to stay true to their promise and stop the abuse of the rights of commuters on the road.
