By Harriet Tata (UniMAC-Faculty of Journalism, EMAIL: harriettata7@gmail.com)
People of Nsumfa, a suburb of Ablekuma, which is within the Ga Central Municipal Assembly, seem to be having challenges when it comes to transportation. This issue has been in for some years now and it seems the government is not being conscious about it. Complaints have been sent to the MP of the area and nothing has been resolved. Residents have to walk between fifteen and thirty minutes before getting to the roadside to board either a bus or taxi to their destinations. This is due to the unfinished and rugged nature of the road in the area. A taxi station close to the area could be helpful and help reduce the stress of the residents. For now, the taxis are less.
There is an outcry by the people, calling on the government to aid them in getting these facilities for the betterment of the vicinity. A man who was late to work and also had to take his children to school, made this statement, “Do we have to do this all the time- walking from here to the junction with no car, hmmm”. According to him, there are just two, sometimes three rickety taxis that work in the area. He stated that the taxi drivers do not work all the time.
Another case reported was a pregnant woman who was in labour and had to be rushed to the hospital. Owing to the unreliable transport system, it took them almost an hour to catch a bolt ride for her to be taken to the hospital, having waited for a long time to get a taxi, but all to no avail. That was, because all the taxis, at the time, were parked at the junction. The only fortunate part of the story, according to a resident, was, she gave birth before they got to the health facility.
Owing to the rugged nature of the road, taxi drivers also charge a high price, resulting in the people not patronizing the service. The people complain the prices are too high, because from where they are to the junction, by vehicle, to their destinations, is too short a distance for the drivers to charge that high. They say they charge as high as fifteen cedis and in some cases seventeen cedis.
On the other hand, drivers also say fuel prices are high, the roads in the area are unfinished, and spare parts of vehicles have shot up leading to the increment of the prices they charge the people. They say the rugged road damages their cars besides the increment of the spare parts. The fare, therefore, is to cushion them (the drivers), so as to keep their vehicles on the road. They also say they have no option, because they are responsible family men and have to take very good care of their families. Moreover, considering the dollar rate, it is only prudent to charge that much in order to remain in business.
Residents have been clamouring for the road to be fixed, because they have voted for a particular party since the inception of the fourth republic. The noise they have been making, they believe, got to the seat of government and hurriedly, close to the 2020 election, gutters were constructed, raising their hopes higher that the roads will be fixed. Unfortunately, till date, even parts of the gutters have not been completed, leaving the roads in a deplorable state than they were.
