The Metro Engineer of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has urged residents of Kumasi to help protect government investment in road infrastructure to ensure newly constructed roads last their intended lifespan.
Speaking on Abusua FM in an interview with host Ebenezer Yaw Jona, popularly known as Osempakani, and monitored by Kumasi Mail, the city engineer said asphalt roads are designed to last more than 20 years but are often damaged prematurely due to human activities.
According to him, practices such as washing vehicles on asphalted roads and overloading heavy-duty trucks are contributing significantly to the deterioration of roads in the Ashanti Regional capital.
“Washing bays are available across Kumasi. I do not understand why people should wash their cars on public asphalt roads at a cost to the nation,” he said.
He called on security agencies, assembly members and traditional leaders to take a keen interest in addressing what he described as growing indiscipline in the city.
“Our assembly members, chiefs and security agencies must take interest in this development. We must conduct citizen arrests to check the situation. No one has the right to wash a car on public asphalt roads. These are some of the reasons our roads do not last long,” he warned.
The engineer also urged the police and other security agencies responsible for enforcing transport regulations to intensify efforts to curb overloading by heavy trucks.
“We have noticed that some heavy trucks overload their goods. That unfortunate development must stop because it is one of the human activities that destroys our roads. Customs officials at various checkpoints should help the government by protecting our roads,” he said.
He emphasised that road infrastructure is funded by taxpayers and should be safeguarded to avoid recurring reconstruction costs.
“These roads are constructed with taxpayers’ money. Until we protect our investment in the road sector, our roads will not last long, and we will continue to pay huge taxes because new roads will have to be built every year as a result of human activities,” he added.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
