Safety Concerns Mount at Pokuase Interchange Following Pedestrian Accident and Streetlight Outages

On March 1, 2023, a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle at the Pokuase Interchange, a major multi-tier infrastructure project in the Greater Accra Region. The incident has intensified long-standing public concerns regarding the safety of the interchange, specifically highlighting the hazards posed by non-functional streetlights. Eyewitnesses and local residents have pointed to poor visibility as a primary contributing factor to the accident, noting that the lack of adequate lighting creates a dangerous environment for both motorists and pedestrians navigating the complex road network after dark.

Local community members have expressed deep-seated frustration over the ongoing neglect of the lighting infrastructure at the interchange. According to reports from the scene, the darkness not only increases the risk of road traffic accidents but also raises security alarms for those who must traverse the area on foot. Residents argue that the current state of the interchange is a 'death trap' waiting to claim more victims if immediate repairs are not undertaken to restore the illumination across the various tiers of the facility.

In response to this latest incident, there have been urgent calls for the relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Roads and Highways and the Urban Roads Department, to prioritize the maintenance of the Pokuase Interchange. Stakeholders emphasize that the significant investment made into the construction of this landmark project must be protected through a robust maintenance culture. Beyond the restoration of lights, there are growing demands for enhanced pedestrian safety measures to ensure that one of the nation's most modern engineering feats does not continue to be a site of preventable tragedy.