Faulty traffic lights endanger lives of school children at Sofoline

Pupils of the Prempeh Primary School risk their lives daily on their way and back from school while crossing the Sofoline-Abuakwa Highway in the Kumasi Metropolis of the Ashanti Region.

This is due to the faulty traffic lights which have not worked in over two years.

Some of the traffic lights also became faulty due to the recklessness of some drivers.

The pupils, aged between 6 and 15years have to cross the highway on their way to and back from school five days a week posing danger to their lives.

With the faulty traffic lights, motorists, have had to slow down to enable the school children and other pedestrians to cross the road.

Sofoline Police Motor Traffic Transport Division (MTTD) Commander, ASP Andrews Addom Okyere told CTV’s Kamal Ahmed in an interview that two MTTD Officers and three officers of the Community Police have been assigned to ease the flow of traffic.

However, a check by the same reporter, no Police Officer was available between 6 to 7 am on Monday, 28 March 2022 to assist pedestrians crossing the road.

The school children were therefore left to their fate.

ASP Okyere indicated that attempts to ease traffic on that stretch are a shared responsibility between the Police and Municipal Assembly.

He also noted that it would be appropriate to provide a footbridge for pedestrians, however, ensuring the traffic lights function properly will reduce road carnage by 60 percent.

Assistant Coordinating Director at the Kwadaso Municipal Assembly of the Kumasi Metropolis, Madam Theresa also disclosed that there are Municipal guards who are responsible for ensuring pedestrians' safe crossing on the Sofoline stretch.

Despite this revelation, as of 9 am, the Municipal guards had not reported for work to aid pedestrians crossing the road.

According to the In-Charge at the Sofoline Terminal, Albert Boamah ever since a trailer destroyed the traffic lights system, it has not been fixed, leading to the current challenges facing pedestrians.

He disclosed that although the incident has been reported to the Police, no action has been taken.

He further disclosed that since the beginning of the year 2022, there has been no Municipal guard to aid pedestrians crossing the road.

He, therefore, appealed to the Urban Roads Department and the Municipal Assembly to help by fixing the non-functional traffic lights and providing guards to ensure pedestrian safety.

A frequent user of the Sofoline stretch, William Ofosuhene also explained that on several occasions, he has had to assist some of the school children crossing the road.

He appealed to the authorities to safeguard the lives of future leaders by fixing the traffic lights.