COMMUTERS and motorists who ply the Ofankor–Nsawam Road have appealed to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to order the removal of the police checkpoint at Doboro, near Nsawam citing persistent traffic congestion and inconvenience.
According to the road users, although the police have the mandate to mount checkpoints to enforce road traffic regulations and ensure public safety, such exercises must be carried out in a manner that did not unduly disrupt movement.
Some commuters who spoke to The Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday expressed concern that the checkpoint, mounted between Doboro and Hebron, had become more of a nuisance than a security measure.
They explained that the operations of the police, particularly during peak hours, created heavy vehicular traffic between Medie and Doboro, significantly increasing travel time.
The checkpoint is reportedly manned by officers from Formed Police Unit of the Tesano Police Command.
Metal barricades placed on both portions of the road for the inbound and outbound vehicles reduce the road to a single lane, creating huge vehicular traffic on the stretch.
The commuters said the road block had been mounted at section of the road which was so deplorable with huge potholes and traversing was difficult especially for the heavy duty vehicles, thus creating heavy gridlock on the road.
Motorists indicated that it takes between 30 minutes and one hour to pass through the checkpoint, especially after travelling from Amasaman towards Nsawam or vice versa.
A driver, Mr Peter Amporful, appealed to the IGP to, as a matter of urgency, order the removal of the checkpoint or review its operational hours.
He noted that the situation was particularly dire in the evenings, when the checkpoint disrupted commercial transport services and affected productivity.
“The police can consider mounting the checkpoint after 10 p.m. when traffic is minimal, rather than during rush hours. They mount the barriers as early as 6.30 pm,” he said.
A commuter, Ms Leticia Antwiwaa, also described the checkpoint as a source of frustration for residents along the Doboro–Nsawam stretch.
She said it sometimes took close to an hour to travel from Hebron to Doboro due to the congestion caused by the police exercise.
“I find it difficult to understand why the police would mount a checkpoint on such a deplorable stretch of road, especially when construction work is ongoing,” she stated.
A civil servant, Mr Emmanuel Quansah, said the situation had negatively influenced his decision to relocate to Doboro, citing the daily traffic challenges.
According to him, best practices required that roadblocks should not be mounted on sections of roads where construction activities were already limiting access.
“Construction has already reduced the usable portion of the road, and the police checkpoint further narrows it. This only compounds the problem,” he said.
A trader from Nsawam, Ms Yaa Perbi, who sells at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, said she was compelled to close work earlier than usual to avoid being caught in traffic.
She explained that the situation was affecting her sales and income, as she was unable to operate for extended hours.
Another motorist, Mr Peter Aidoo, described the checkpoint as an unnecessary burden on residents and commuters, particularly at a time when the road was undergoing rehabilitation.
The Ofankor–Nsawam Road is a major national highway linking southern Ghana to the northern parts of the country and neighbouring Sahelian states, including Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
The 33.4-kilometre road, being reconstructed by Maripoma Enterprise Limited, is currently about 81 per cent complete and is expected to be finished by July this year.
When completed, it is expected to ease congestion and enhance trade within the sub-region.
BY KINGSLEY ASARE
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