Residents of Bawjiase in the Central region have made a passionate appeal to government to take a second look at their roads.
According to the residents, the call has been necessitated by recent frustrations pregnant women go through when put in ambulances or vehicles to be sent to hospital for delivery.
Residents say there are several reported cases of women who have had miscarriage on their way to the Winneba General hospital.
About 61 percent of Ghana’s roads have been classified as poor. Research indicates there are approximately 72,000 Kilometers of roads in the country out of which 23 percent have been asphalted with 39 percent in good condition.
At Bawjiase in the Central Region, the poor nature of these roads today has become nothing but a threat to the lives of residents especially pregnant women and children.
According to residents, pregnant women continue to be victims of this deadly road as most of them suffer miscarriage. Many of these pregnant women deliver in vehicles while being conveyed to hospital.
Drivers who ply the route say they have no choice but to increase fares in view of the high cost spare parts. They said most drivers have had their vehicles collected by their owners because they were unable to make appropriate sales. Farmers also suffer due to the situation as carrying their produce to the Bawjiase Market has become a nightmare.
The Duputy Bawjiase branch Secretary of the Ghana National Cargo Transport Association, Parkson Affreh said the problem is collapsing their business and asked government to come to their aid.
He said cargo drivers are compelled to charge high fares due to the poor nature of the road.
