It would be recalled that the Upper-East Regional Office of the Department Of Urban Roads, under the Ministry Of Roads And Highways, in conjunction with the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly redesignated Ayia Street, next to Bencyn Pharmacy, as a one-way street.
“We wish to bring to the attention of the motoring public, that the Ayia Street has forthwith been re-designated a one way in the south-north direction only. This implies that vehicular traffic shall only be permitted from Bolgatanga-Bawku road towards Apex Bank intersection only. Traffic that hitherto travelled in the opposite direction from the Apex Bank intersection to the Bolgatanga-Bawku road may use either of the two routes: the Apex Bank-NIB-Bank-Central Mosque road. Alternatively, [motorists can use] the Apex Bank-Bank-of-Africa-Tamale station road.”
“This essential traffic management intervention has become necessary, to help reduce congestion delays and improve travel-times and road safety. Additionally, street parking on the Ayia Street on market days is also strictly prohibited henceforth except for the offloading of goods.”
“All are respectfully entreated to take note and comply accordingly, to facilitate the free flow of motorised traffic and ensure optimised safety for all road users.”
But when the Upper East Regional Director of the Urban Roads Department, Engineer Peter Amoako spoke on the Day Break Upper East Show recently, he said residents in the Upper East Region have failed to follow the intention of the Department.
Ing. Amoako stressed that the redesignation of the road was to enable proper use of the road.
“The essence is safety. Go on that road, people are using the road for what it is not intended for. Before shops are built, they have to apply for permits. If you are going to use it for business, there’s something we call the Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA); what are you going to sell? This is so that your traffic movement would comply with the use of the road. That road is a local road. People are selling products that I think, they would have to reconsider the location. I think the Assembly would also have to come in. Roads are not designed for stationary trucks.”
Ing. Amoako added that in 2 years, the entire stretch of road could be damaged because of the heavy trucks that park there often.
“When we have trucks, lorries, packing over there with loads for two days or three days, what are we doing to the road? We have overlayed the place with asphalt but a time would come, if we continue to use the road the way it is, in 2 years, the road would be gone,” he said.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
