Almost all the street lights that were installed on the 19-km Accra-Tema Motorway have vanished after three years.
The whole stretch of the motorway falls under the jurisdiction of different local authorities, and this situation has compounded the situation.
The source said officials of the Ghana Highway Authority had consistently pointed out to the ministry that the street lights were part of the road infrastructure, and, therefore, under the authority’s jurisdiction.
“There have been several arguments over who must be responsible for street lights over the years, and we need to come to an agreement on that as a nation,” the source said.
According to the Street Lighting in Ghana Policy Framework (2011), the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) are responsible for the development, installation, maintenance, replacement and operation of street lights within their respective jurisdictions.
The policy framework clarifies the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders in ensuring effective street lighting across the country.
“Consequently, all street lighting constructed by the public agencies— central government, the MMDAs, road authorities and the community—should be transferred to and owned by the local government authorities (MMDAs). Construction of community street lights shall be sanctioned by the MMDA,” it states.
It is in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government (Departments of District Assemblies) (Commencement) Instrument, 2009, (Legislative Instrument 1961).
Beyond the ownership and maintenance challenges, the source stressed that theft of road infrastructure, including street lights, was difficult to prevent on the motorway.
Indeed, contractors even reported that thieves stole from them while they were working on fixing the street lights, resulting in three transformers being replaced before the work was completed.
Situation
Presently, driving on the 19-kilometre Accra-Tema Motorway at night is hellish, as there are no street lights to provide the expected visibility.
In fact, even when about two-thirds of the stretch had been fixed with solar-powered street lights three years ago, motorists had cause to complain about poor visibility, especially on the outer lanes, due to the defective lights.