Commuters and passengers have expressed concern about the gridlock at Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra at the beginning of the year, especially from Kaneshie along New Times Corporation (NTC), and the Royal House Chapel to the Circle roundabout.
Similarly, workers within the North Industrial Area, Accra, are lamenting the daily frustrations they go through due to the gridlock, describing it as “unbearable” as they could hardly access their premises.
The Ghanaian Times has observed that even though police personnel direct traffic near the VIP JEOUN Transport, they appeared overwhelmed by the volume of vehicles, coupled with the concentration of long-distance transport operators in the area.
The Ghanaian Times also observed the “underuse” of the overpass by drivers as they prefer the main road that connects Kwame Nkrumah Interchange to Ring Road, Kaneshie, North Industrial Area, and the Central Business District, Accra.
A regular commuter on the road told The Ghanaian Times that taxi drivers had taken over one lane in front of the VIP JEON Transport terminal, soliciting for clients with careless abundance.
“There must be law and order, the police must remove them from that lane to ensure free flow of traffic,” the anonymous commuter said.
Kaneshie Industrial Area road
Obeng Mensah, a worker, told The Ghanaian Times it was “irritatingly frustrating commuting to and from work due to heavy traffic in the area.” He attributed the gridlock to activities of Ghana Water Company Limited, Electricity Company of Ghana, and some transport companies, including VIP JEOUN, Intercity State Transport Company (STC), and 2M Express, whose long vehicles block part of the road.
Speaking to The Ghanaian Times, the General Manager of VIP JEOUN Transport Company Limited, Mr Adakabre Frimpong Manso, attributed the traffic congestion to increased passenger numbers.
According to him, the traffic congestion around the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, now Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, was due to travelers returning to their destinations after the Christmas festivities.
“Our outfit, however, is running 24-hour services to ensure that passengers get to their destination on time, especially those going to school in Kumasi and other parts of the country,” he said.
Mr Manso appealed to commuters, passengers, and motorists, especially workers of New Times Corporation (NTC) and other offices in the area, to bear with the situation, which he described as “temporal.”
Many passengers who are equally affected by the situation appealed to city authorities to salvage the situation.
Maame Ama Johnson, a trader, told The Ghanaian Times that the traffic situation affected her sales as she spent hours in traffic on a daily basis.
Mr Solomon Ayeetey said sitting in traffic for a long time was affecting productivity and the mental health of passengers.
BY VICTOR A. BUXTON
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