By Seth Danquah
Takoradi, Jan 17, GNA – Some motorists in the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolis have expressed concern about heaps of sand overtaking some major roads in the Metropolis.
According to them, though driver error had been identified as a major cause of road crashes in the country, the heaps of sand along the roads constituted road hazards and posed a real danger that could cause many motor vehicle accidents.
The motorists have thus called on city authorities to, as a matter of urgency, remedy the situation to avert any accidents in the Metropolis.
The GNA checks confirmed the concerns of the residents as some roads within the Metropolis had been partly taken by sand.
Roads such as the Axim Road highway, Akroma road, Shippers’ Road, and the PWD highway close to the offices of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) and National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), especially around the Paa Grant Roundabout had gathered a great amount of sand, due to flooding on some sections of these roads.
In an interview with the GNA, Paa Kwesi Arthur, a taxi driver lamented that the accumulated sand on the roads was making driving riskier for motorists and pedestrians alike coupled with the problem of poor visibility which could cause skidding-related accidents.
According to him, the accumulated sand on busy roads should be removed at least thrice a week depending on the location and usage by the GHA, Urban Roads, or the respective local body.
He urged that steps be taken as soon as possible to remove the sand deposited on the roads.
“This should be done quickly especially now that we are in the dry season where the roads and the sand are dry. This we know, can cause skidding and brake failure which may be dire in consequences,” he stressed.
Master T. T, a phone repairer, and motorcyclists also bemoaned the situation where portions of the roads have developed potholes.
He noted that the potholes could cause havoc when car wheels enter, or a driver swerves to miss one.
This, he said, could result in engine and tire damage as well as cause problems with the steering system and suspension or cause a tire to burst which might result in a rollover accident.
He cited that motorists and bicyclists were most at risk for injury from potholes in that the edge of the pothole could push the motorcycle’s tire sideways or bend the wheel rim.
“Since motorcycles have less stability than vehicles with four wheels, hitting a pothole can result in the biker being thrown from his or her bike. This can result in serious injuries and fatalities,” he explained.
However, Mr. Ofosu-Larbi, a road safety expert, warned motorists to be extra careful on the roads, stressing that knowing about the road hazards that posed a considerable danger to motorists was one way they could avoid accidents.
He indicated that a driver must always stay alert for unforeseeable problems such as construction, a vehicle entering their lane, a pedestrian crossing, or difficulty in seeing due to evaporated dust in the air.
He emphasized that staying alert on the road was one of the things a driver ought to do while driving.
GNA