The continuous use of the main road linking the people of New-Takoradi, a fishing community, to Takoradi by heavy duty trucks has contributed immensely to its deterioration.
Heavy duty trucks use the road to haul heavy duty equipment and other goods to the Takoradi Harbour, culminating in the deterioration of the road.
Takoradi Flour Mills (TFM), Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Ghana Manganese Company (GMC), Ghana Bauxite Company (GBC) and Ghana Cement stand accused in the damage caused to the road.
When the Western File checked on its current state, it had developed what has commonly become known as ‘manholes’ (pot holes), and that apart, the dust emanating from its usage cannot be described.
Interestingly, though, particularly, GPHA vehicles use the road to transport staff day and night, it has not bothered to assist sprinkle water on it to reduce the amount of dust.
For now, residents and pedestrians of the New Takoradi are at the receiving end of the deterioration of the road. What is more serious is that by the main road stands a clinic serving the entire New-Takoradi community, which has received a new coat of paint from the dust, while patients at the facility continue to inhale it.
The Assembly Member for the area, Mr. Emmanuel Edwin Adoko, said that he was a very worried man. According to Adoko, apart from the road, there were other sources of dust from the operations of the aforementioned companies.
For instance, he said, the residents were inhaling what he termed ‘white’ dust from the Takoradi Flour Mills. Also, they were also inhaling ash-coloured dust from GHACEM as a result of the carting of cement, green dust from Ghana Manganese emanating from its manganese, and red dust from the Ghana Bauxite Company.
“So we are inhaling four kinds of dust from the companies, and smoke from the burning of tires from the nearby slaughter house.” Adoko, however, stated that he had on many occasions appealed to the companies which use the road to haul goods to the harbour to help put the road into good shape, but his pleas had received no response.
Mr. Adoko recounted how, at one point, the whole community rose up and blocked the main road, preventing heavy duty vehicles owned by the aforementioned companies from using it. The Assembly Member, who was speaking in an interview, said the community is sad at what he described as ‘irresponsible’ corporate behaviour of the companies whose vehicles use the road.