The beauty of dysfunctional traffic lights in Ghana
Well they hold no beauty. It is chaos and disorder, that is all they promise. Seriously, what beauty do broken down traffic lights hold so much so that as Ghanaians, we agree to litter the capital, Accra with so many?
Most Ghanaians may be familiar with the nursery rhyme on traffic light: “If you see a traffic light, there is something you should know, red means stop! Yellow means get ready, green means go, go, go and go!”
Imagine heading to town only to meet dead traffic lights at a busy intersection – no red, no yellow, or green to tell anyone what to do -the next thing that ensues usually is chaos.
We have ridiculed ourselves enough as a people with our proverbial lax in maintenance culture. It is long past the time some duty bearer should be sitting up, or be straightened. T
However, this underestimated three-light featured equipment is only recognised to be salient when it is damaged or dysfunctional as some parts of the capital such as Kokomlemle, Circle and Police Headquarters amongst many other areas are currently experiencing.
These locations with broken or dysfunctional traffic lights have experienced increased vehicle congestion, collisions (vehicle and vehicle or vehicle and pedestrian), wrong vehicle and pedestrian directions, motorist conflict, prolonged travel time, etc.
Thus, instead of ensuring safety, these broken or dysfunctional traffic lights become danger zones for both motorists and pedestrians.
On the other hand, a well-functioning traffic light efficiently and orderly manages vehicle and pedestrian movements, providing unfamiliar motorists with the right directions to ply while simultaneously helping minimise collisions, fuel usage, travel time and vehicle emissions.
Therefore, it is critical that measures such as periodical checkups and maintenance are adopted to ensure the proper functioning of traffic lights in the capital for the benefit of both the state and citizens as a safeguard against the loss of human lives and property.
Below are some photos of broken and dysfunctional street lights in some parts of Accra:
Source: Ghana News
