Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Friday announced that the government would this year replace all the traffic lights with ultra-modern ones that would help reduce jams in the Accra-Tema Metropolis.
The modern traffic lights, he said, had back-up power that could sustain and work for extra two days when power goes off.
Vice President Mahama announced this when he cut the sod for the commencement of work on a total of 53 kilometres of roads in Tema, Ashaiman
and Kpone in the Tema Metropolis.
The projects, which would take one year to be fully executed, include asphalting, ordinary tarring and upgrading of roads in the Ashaiman, Klagon and Lashibi areas, were awarded on contract valued at about GH¢30 million from the Government of Ghana funds.
He said the current state where streets became jammed up with vehicles during lights off was unacceptable, considering the fact that more people were acquiring private vehicles in Accra and Tema.
Mr. Mahama explained that the current increase of tolls on the highways was to generate more funds to construct, maintain and upgrade more roads.
He charged the Ministry of Roads and Highways to, at the end of every year, publish the total amount of money accrued from the tolls and how much would be used in financing road projects.
"Ghanaians are ready to sacrifice, but such willingness will only pay off, if those in leadership are also willing to be transparent."
The Vice President appealed to the residents of the areas to cooperate with the contractors as the execution of those projects were likely to
inconvenience them in one way or the other.
Mr. Joe Gidisu, Minister of Roads and Highways, said roads in the entire country needed special attention since a lot of them had not received any major rehabilitation since independence.
He called on Chiefs in the project areas to cooperate with contractors and officials of the Ministry to reduce the perennial litigations that
normally characterised such projects.
"The construction and upgrading of so many roads in the Accra-Tema Metropolis is a total demonstration that the Better Ghana agenda we promised is on course."
Mr. Kempes Ofosuware, Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, said in spite of the financial constraints the government was facing, it would do everything possible to upgrade all the roads in the area.