Accra, June 24, GNA – Research and policy think tank, CUTS International, Monday urged the Government to increase funding for road maintenance in the upcoming Mid-Year Budget Review.
In a release copied to Ghana News Agency, the organisation cited damage caused to roads, bridges and drains by heavy rains, as justification for the proposed increment.
“Although road maintenance works last longer when done in the dry season, the country cannot wait for the rains to end before acting. Some roads now require immediate emergency repairs to keep them safe and usable,” Mr Appiah Kusi Adomako, Director, West Africa Regional Centre of CUTS International, was quoted as saying.
The release said temporary patching would not solve the problem as the damages were caused by poor drainage, weak road bases, and repeated flooding.
CUTS commended the Government’s “Big Push” agenda, but said existing bad roads should be fixed while new ones were being constructed.
“A good road system is a network of both old and newly constructed roads. Building new roads while allowing existing roads to fail will weaken the overall transport system and increase the long-term cost of maintenance,” it said.
“…New roads are important, but existing roads must also be protected. We cannot build new roads with one hand and allow older roads to collapse with the other.”
It urged the government to invest in proper maintenance, drainage works, bridge repairs and stronger supervision of road works.
The Mid-Year Budget must show commitment to protecting Ghana’s roads, preserving existing road assets, and reducing the burden on road users.
The release called on the Government to fast-track the return of road tolls, which would help generate funds to fix bad roads.
“A modern tolling system is transparent, efficient and easy to account for. Revenue from tolls must go directly into road maintenance, and Ghanaians must see clear results on the roads they use every day.”
“Ghanaians do not expect perfect roads overnight. But they expect unsafe roads, deep potholes and damaged bridges to receive urgent attention. Roads connect people to work, schools, hospitals, markets and businesses. When roads fail, the whole economy suffers.”
The release appealed to the Government to resource Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDA) to deal with road and bridge repairs in their areas.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe