Residents of Sumbrungu in the Upper East Region are demanding urgent road safety interventions along the Bolgatanga-Navrongo highway following nine reported deaths in 14 road accidents between July and October 2026.
The residents say the absence of speed ramps, pedestrian crossings, warning signs and functional streetlights has made the highway increasingly dangerous, particularly for children and other pedestrians.
Speaking to journalists, a resident, Gilbert Alolika, said the community had witnessed several fatal accidents in recent months, with the latest claiming the lives of two young men on Sunday, October 25, 2026.
According to him, the two died after crashing into a stationary truck along the Sumbrungu stretch of the highway.
“Early in the morning, there was a truck parked here. I don’t know whether there was an overtaking. The guys crashed and just died. Just like that. Two young men,” he recounted.
Mr Alolika said the impact of the accidents extended beyond the immediate victims, leaving families struggling with the emotional and economic consequences of losing their loved ones.
“Sometimes it’s not just about the accident, it’s about the pain that goes down to the families after the accident,” he said.
He disclosed that one of the deceased was reportedly the breadwinner for his mother and siblings, whose livelihoods could now be affected by his death.
The residents, in a press statement, said 14 accidents had been recorded along the stretch between July and October, resulting in nine deaths and several serious injuries.
They described the road, which forms part of the ECOWAS international highway, as a death trap, blaming the situation on inadequate road safety measures and the continuous movement of heavy-duty trucks.
Mr Alolika expressed concern that the highway passes through a densely populated community with a basic school and a market, yet lacks adequate warning signs and pedestrian crossings.
“Have you seen any road sign showing that there’s a school here? Have you seen any zebra crossing? Have you seen anything showing that this is a small market?” he questioned.
He argued that the absence of these measures, coupled with speeding and dangerous driving, exposed residents to avoidable risks.
“The nature of this road without speed ramps, any little human error, somebody dies. This is an ECOWAS road. All the big trucks pass here 24 hours non-stop,” he said.
Recalling another accident, Mr Alolika narrated how a graduating student of Bolgatanga Technical University suffered a broken ankle after being involved in a crash while returning from town during the university’s graduation celebrations.
He said he personally assisted in transporting the injured student to seek medical attention because an ambulance was unavailable at the scene.
“I was the one who held the guy and put him on the pick-up because we couldn’t even get an ambulance. Every day, children here wake up to see somebody lying on the road either dead or seriously injured,” he lamented.
The residents acknowledged efforts by Upper East Regional Minister Donatus Akamugri Atanga and community leaders to engage the Department of Urban Roads and the Ghana Highway Authority over their concerns.
However, they expressed frustration that the engagements had yet to produce the safety interventions they had requested.
“We know our leaders are doing very well, but to get approval for such a thing is not easy. They need to keep pushing harder. If not, we’ll continue losing lives here,” Mr Alolika said.
He appealed directly to the Minister for Roads and Highways to expedite the necessary approvals and facilitate the implementation of road safety measures along the stretch.
“This one is going straight to our Roads Minister. He’s the one who can solve this problem for us. If we get approval today, within a month or two, we’ll see a contractor here to fix it,” he said.
Mr Alolika expressed anger over the latest deaths, arguing that timely government intervention could help prevent similar tragedies.
“I’m very angry because if you were here yesterday morning to see how those young guys were lying here, just because of something government can do to save somebody’s life, you wouldn’t feel comfortable,” he stated.
The residents are demanding the installation of speed ramps, warning signs, zebra crossings and functional streetlights, alongside increased police enforcement to address speeding and dangerous driving.
They want the relevant authorities to assess the Sumbrungu-Anateem stretch and implement appropriate measures to protect pedestrians and motorists.
The community maintains that further delays could expose more residents to fatal accidents and leave additional families mourning their loved ones.
A1 Radio | 101.1 MHz | David Azure | Bolgatanga
