Posted by William Osei Prempeh 832 0 comments

Liberia's Deputy Minister for Land and Rail Transport, Hon. Darious Kollie, led a delegation from the Road Safety Secretariat of Liberia on a courtesy visit to the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) on Wednesday, May 24, 2023.

The purpose of the visit was to engage in knowledge sharing with the GHA team and gain insights from the Authority’s operations. 

In his welcome address, Ing. Christian Nti, Chief Executive of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), expressed gratitude to the team for selecting Ghana as a destination to understudy GHA’S road safety program. He provided a concise overview of the GHA, emphasizing its vision and mission statement, organizational structure, network size, and responsibilities. One of the main responsibilities of the Authority, he stated, was to ensure the safety of our Roads by undertaking Road projects aimed at enhancing mobility, reducing travel time, and promoting economic activities. Ing. Nti also underscored the importance of routine and periodic maintenance, which were key factors in promoting Road safety.

From Left, Ing. Lawrence Lamptey, Dy. Chief Exec. (Maintenance, GHA) and Ing. Christian Nti, Chief Executive (GHA).

Delivering his presentation on activities carried out by the Road Safety Division at the Authority, the Director of Road Safety indicated that the Division uses two (2) main approaches to maintaining safety on the roads i.e., the proactive and reactive approaches. "We adopt a proactive approach by implementing enhanced road designs, which undergo audits during the preliminary design stage, pre-opening, and one year after completion. As for the reactive approach, we identify and address hot spots." Ing. Joseph Atsu Amedzake explained.  

He pointed out some prioritized facilities for the vulnerable group such as Pedestrian crossing, disability-friendly footbridges, amongst others. “Currently plans are underway to dualize major Roads and provide rest stops at intervals Ing. Joseph Atsu Amedzake, Director of Road Safety along the road corridors to allow drivers to take breaks and rest”, Ing. Amedzake added.

Ing. Joseph Atsu Amedzake, Director of Road Safety                    

Hon. Kollie, while addressing the audience, reiterated the purpose of their visit, which was to study and replicate Ghana's Road safety system as their Secretariat undergoes an upgrade to an Authority. The deputy minister commended the GHA for its efforts in promoting a strong Road maintenance culture. He showed specific interest in the GHA's decentralized approach to achieving an effective Road maintenance system and expressed the desire to acquire further information regarding the existing structures.  

Liberia Deputy Minister for Land and Rail Transport, Darious Kollie 

Giving more insight into the Road maintenance structure, the Deputy Chief Executive (Maintenance), Ing. Lawrence Lamptey, explained that each of the sixteen (16) regions in Ghana has a Regional Director who oversees all Road projects within their respective regions. “These Regional Directors are supported by Maintenance Managers, and in certain locations, Road Area Managers are also involved, depending on the size of the region”, He added.

A cross-section of attendees at the meeting.

Ing. Lamptey also mentioned that, in order to reduce maintenance costs and enhance efficiency, the Authority currently outsources 90% of the maintenance works, while its Mobile Maintenance Unit handles the remaining 10%.

In his closing remarks, Ing. Nti assured the Liberian team of the Authority’s readiness to provide technical and other related support where needed.

Present at the meeting were the Deputy Chief Executive (Administration), Ing. Frederick Aduagyei, the Deputy Chief Executive (Development), Ing. Collins Donkor, and some officials from the National Road Safety Authority, Ghana.