Dr. Elvis Kyere-Gyeabour has raised concerns over a resurgence of tricycles on Ghanaian highways, highlighting the need for comprehensive traffic management strategies. Speaking on ChannelOne TV, Breakfast daily, Dr. Kyere-Gyeabour noted that directives previously issued to restrict tricycles on major roads, aimed at improving safety and reducing congestion appear to have lapsed with the change in government.
“It’s not as if there’s been a new directive to allow tricycles,” he explained. “But enforcement has eased, and the highways are now witnessing a significant influx.” The relaxation in oversight, he said, has contributed to traffic bottlenecks and heightened safety risks for road users.
In addition to unregulated tricycles, Dr. Kyere-Gyeabour cited frequent breakdowns of cargo trucks as another major contributor to congestion. He emphasised that no single measure would resolve the issue, calling for a coordinated approach combining multiple strategies.
“Solutions must include contraflow systems, deployment of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), and a reliable public transport fleet,” he said. “Even with contraflow, if buses break down in those lanes, traffic will not improve.”
Dr. Kyere-Gyeabour urged authorities to enforce existing regulations consistently while simultaneously strengthening infrastructure and operational capacity to ensure smoother traffic flow. He stressed that addressing congestion requires both short-term interventions and long-term planning to create sustainable improvements on Ghana’s highways.
The expert concluded that only a combination of enforcement, upgraded transport services, and strategic traffic management would effectively alleviate the country’s growing road congestion challenges.