What should have been a routine ride across Accra is revealing a growing challenge facing thousands of ride-hailing drivers across Ghana.
As vehicles crawled through traffic, Uber driver Michael Acheampong reflected on what many commuters often overlook. Contrary to popular belief, he said potholes are no longer his greatest concern. “I am used to the potholes,” he said during an interview with The High Street Journal. “The bigger problem is the traffic.” His comments expose a reality confronting many drivers who rely on ride-hailing services for their livelihoods. While deteriorating roads remain a challenge, prolonged congestion, lost hours and declining productivity are increasingly becoming the hidden costs of doing business on Ghana’s roads.
For Mr. Acheampong, the Kasoa corridor represents one of the most difficult routes to operate. A trip that appears profitable on paper can quickly become an economic burden once hours spent in traffic are considered. “If you sit in one place for a long time, you become tired. That is exactly what happens,” he explained. The issue goes beyond driver fatigue. Every hour spent in traffic is an hour that could have been used to complete additional trips, serve more passengers or increase daily earnings.
Ride-hailing platforms such as Uber, Bolt and Yango have transformed urban mobility in Ghana over the past decade. Yet the business model depends heavily on efficiency. Drivers earn more when they are moving, not when they are stationary.
According to Mr. Acheampong, journeys towards Kasoa are particularly challenging because drivers often struggle to secure return passengers heading back into Accra. “Sometimes you spend so much time going there, and when you get there, getting a request back to Accra is difficult,” he said. As a result, some drivers deliberately avoid accepting trips to certain destinations despite the demand.
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The situation highlights a broader economic concern. Transport inefficiencies do not only affect drivers. They affect passengers through longer travel times and businesses through delayed deliveries and increased operational costs.
The problem extends beyond ride-hailing services to Ghana’s rapidly expanding logistics and delivery sector.
Companies operating delivery vans and courier services depend on predictable travel times to meet customer expectations. When roads deteriorate or congestion worsens, businesses face increased fuel consumption, vehicle maintenance costs and scheduling disruptions.
Research consistently shows that poor road conditions increase vehicle wear and tear. Suspension systems, tyres, steering components and shock absorbers often suffer the greatest damage when vehicles repeatedly encounter potholes and uneven road surfaces.
The challenge is not unique to Accra. Across Ghana, rapid urbanisation has increased pressure on transport infrastructure. Growing vehicle numbers, inadequate drainage systems, delayed maintenance and funding constraints have contributed to road deterioration in many parts of the country. The Ghana Highways Authority has previously cited inadequate funding and increasing traffic volumes as major challenges affecting maintenance efforts.
Road experts note that potholes often develop when water penetrates road surfaces through cracks. Heavy rainfall, poor drainage and sustained vehicle pressure gradually weaken the pavement structure until sections collapse. Recent rains have worsened conditions on several urban roads.
The economic consequences are significant. Recent studies estimate that traffic congestion alone costs Ghana billions of cedis annually through lost productivity, fuel wastage and reduced economic efficiency.
Recognising the challenge, government has increased road maintenance allocations in recent years. In 2025, GH¢2.81 billion was allocated for road maintenance, alongside plans to strengthen funding mechanisms for the road sector.
Yet for drivers like Mr. Acheampong, improvements cannot come soon enough. Every day spent trapped in traffic represents lost opportunities, reduced earnings and mounting exhaustion. His story reflects the experience of countless commercial drivers whose businesses depend on movement.
In Ghana’s urban transport economy, the cost of poor roads is no longer measured only by the potholes drivers navigate. It is measured by the hours lost, the customers missed and the productivity sacrificed while engines idle in endless traffic.
For many drivers, the road itself is no longer the greatest obstacle. The real challenge is getting anywhere at all.
