Residents of Sumbrungu in the Upper East Region have expressed frustration over delays in installing speed ramps along the Bolgatanga-Navrongo highway, nearly three months after the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly considered a proposal to improve road safety in the community.
Their concerns follow a fatal accident on October 25, 2026, which claimed the lives of two young men along the Sumbrungu stretch of the Trans-ECOWAS Highway.
Speaking on Bolga FM’s Tinmaalgo Sanga programme, the Assembly Member for the Sumbrungu-Azorebisi Electoral Area, Dr Elias Ayinbila Apasiya, said residents were disappointed that repeated appeals for road safety interventions had yet to yield results.
According to him, the community had consistently demanded speed ramps, pedestrian crossings, speed-limit signs and other safety measures to reduce accidents along the stretch between Sumbrungu-Azimsum and Sumbrungu-Anaten.
He recalled that residents organised a demonstration around June or July 2026 to draw attention to the frequent accidents, including an earlier incident that reportedly claimed the lives of an entire family.
Despite the protests and subsequent engagements with authorities, Dr Apasiya said residents had seen little progress towards addressing their concerns.
He disclosed that the issue was formally raised at a General Assembly meeting of the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly on July 28, 2026.
According to him, Item Four of the recommendations presented at the meeting called for approval to construct speed ramps along the Sumbrungu-Azimsum to Sumbrungu-Anaten stretch.
However, he expressed disappointment that nearly three months after the meeting, construction had not commenced, while residents had received no clear information on the status of the proposed intervention.
“If there was no money to construct the speed ramps, why bring it for us to approve? Approve for what?” he questioned.
Dr Apasiya argued that the continued delays were exposing residents and other road users to avoidable risks, particularly given the heavy movement of vehicles along the international highway.
Beyond the absence of speed ramps, he raised concerns about potholes, inadequate road signs, the lack of pedestrian crossings and non-functional streetlights.
He said these conditions made travelling along the road dangerous, especially at night, and questioned why road users were often blamed for indiscipline when essential safety infrastructure was lacking.
“This is a highway, but it does not have the facilities and necessary logistics that make it safe for road users,” he lamented.
The Assembly Member called on the relevant authorities to repair damaged sections of the road, restore street lighting and introduce appropriate measures to control speeding.
He maintained that residents had demonstrated patience through repeated appeals and engagements, but the continued loss of lives had heightened frustration within the community.
Another resident, Gilbert Alolika, appealed to the government and road authorities to expedite the installation of speed ramps to prevent further fatalities.
He warned that residents were prepared to construct the ramps themselves if authorities continued to delay action.
Mr Alolika said the community could no longer remain unconcerned while accidents continued to claim lives along the highway.
Residents are therefore demanding urgent intervention from the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly, Ghana Highway Authority and other relevant institutions to improve safety along the Sumbrungu-Azimsum to Sumbrungu-Anaten stretch.
They insist that the latest deaths should serve as a reminder of the need for immediate action to prevent further tragedies.
A1 Radio | 101.1 MHz | Moses Anaba Azubire | Bolgatanga
