The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover, has clarified that the upcoming installation of 25,000 street lights will be focused on local communities rather than highways.
This clarification follows confusion after his comments at an August 6 town hall meeting, where he suggested that these lights were intended for poorly illuminated highways across the nation.
In his initial remarks, Titus-Glover explained that the government had supported the region with street lighting initiatives, starting with 10,000 lights in 2022, 20,000 in 2023, and an additional 25,000 planned for the current phase.
“Because criminals don’t like visibility, the government has supported the region to make sure we light up the entire region with some street lights. In phase one, 10,000 streetlights were distributed in 2022.
“20,000 in 2023 and in phase three, we are going to do 25,000. There is a process in place where a company wants to partner with the regional coordinating council to do a solar one on the Tema Motorway. They will do a pilot from Shiashie through the Airport to 37 to Accra Central.
“Then we look at the N1 all the way to Weija Gbawe. Then we come to Achimota, the Overhead, through the Forestry Commission, the Achimota Police Station, GIMPA and then we make a turn towards Fiesta Royale.”
He outlined a pilot project involving solar lights on the Tema Motorway, covering routes from Shiashie to Accra Central and along the N1 highway.
“These streetlights are not the normal highway lights, it is within the communities. They are different lights from what we have on highways. So that will take another level, to look at it holistically. But for now, what we have distributed is meant for the communities where there are no lights, and visibility is poor because of the absence of these lights, that has been the focus.
However, Titus-Glover has now specified that the current project will focus on enhancing lighting in local communities, not on major roads.
“When it comes to highway one, that’s a different thing we want to look at, through the traffic light matter.”
He emphasized that these street lights differ from those used on highways and that a separate plan is needed to address highway lighting comprehensively.
Residents have expressed concerns about the dangers of traveling on poorly lit roads, highlighting accidents on routes such as Baah Yard to Pokuase, George Walker Bush Highway, and the Accra-Tema Motorway.
While the community lighting project is underway, major road lighting issues remain unaddressed.
The Public Relations Officer for the Ministry of Roads and Highways, Nasir Ahmed Yartey, clarified that the maintenance of faulty street lights falls under local authorities, not the Roads Ministry.