Ministry launches modern footbridges programme

The Ministry of Roads and Highways (MRH) would undertake the development of modern foot bridges to curb pedestrian accidents on the major roads.

The project was on Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer basis through a Public Private Participation (PPP) arrangement.

Mr Joseph Atsu Amedzake, Director of Planning, Ghana Highway Authority, who disclosed this at a press launch in Accra, said the project was a collaboration between the MRH, the Ghana Highway Authority and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development through the Agona West and Awutu Senya East Municipal Assemblies.

He said the implementation of the project would be facilitated by Public Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility managed by the World Bank and Public Investment Division of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.

He said the objective of the consultation process in Ghana was to create the first practical example of a PPP in which both Central and Local Governments would collaborate with the private sector to innovate and provide solutions to Ghanaians.

Mr Amedzake said though they were working together with municipal assemblies across the country, the project was being piloted in Greater Accra and Central Regions.

“So in Greater Accra, we are planning to build foot bridges on the Tetteh Quarshie Madina Road, Okponglo and Presbyterian Boys Senior High School Junction, and in the Central Region we would be looking at Kasoa Old Market area, commercial area, Amanfrom and Nyinsainya Senior High School on the Badwiase road.

“In Swedru, we planned building four foot bridges but for now we identified the stadium area,” he said

Mrs Gladys Ghartey, Head of the World Bank Unit, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, said the initiative was not only a solution to the N1 Highway but rather a means of providing footbridges on private partnership throughout the country.

Mr Dante Mossi, Senior Operations Officer of World Bank, said the Bank would open a dialogue space to advertisers who would be interested in advertising on the foot bridges.

Statistics from the Ministry of Transport’s 2011 Report on “Road Traffic Crashes in Ghana” indicated that 2,448 pedestrians were involved in road accidents and out of that 898 people died.

Source: GNA