Residents of Samsam Odumase, near Amasaman in the Greater Accra Region, have closed the Samsam Fotobi road to tipper truck drivers.
Residents are complaining about the deterioration of the road conditions, which they blame on the high loads carried by these tipper trucks.
Approximately ten tipper drivers have been trapped on the road, forcing them to seek alternate routes.
“We are stopping these people. They are damaging our roadways, which we do not want. The community’s taxi drivers are unable to work. We’ve been phoning them to discuss the route and possible solutions, but nothing has happened, so we want to do something that will affect them,” a resident said.
Another neighbour stated that the MCE had visited their neighbourhood several times but that no action had been taken to fix the road. “Therefore we are taking this action to send a clear message to the authorities.”
Meanwhile, one of the impacted drivers has encouraged citizens to hold the local assembly accountable. He believed that because they (drivers) pay a fee for each journey, they should not be blamed for the bad status of the road.
“The road is terrible. The contractor or the government must repair it, and the government is taking our money. We pay GH30 for every trip for council tickets. So we, the drivers, are paying our quarter simply to keep the roads in good condition for the people. So we’re not sure why they don’t…So we’re not here to wreck the road.”
