Steel manufacturing businesses that purchase metal gratings erected in roadways by the government from private individuals risk prosecution, according to a warning from Mr. Kwame Governs Agbodza, Minister of roadways and Highways.
He further stated that those who sold the metal gratings to the steel production firms will likewise be taken into custody and face legal action.
When Mr. Agbodza came before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday, he issued the warning.
“We are about to start the prosecution of the steel manufacturing companies that we have traced the metal gratings to, and we will jail any steel manufacturing company who buys scraps and the metal is coming from our metal grating that we install in roads. We will come after the person who sold it or we will come after you,” Mr. Agbodza stated,
He added that someone who was caught removing guard rails on the Obetsebi Lamptey road and selling them as scrap metal had been prosecuted and imprisoned by the Ministry.
Mr. Agbodza regretted the fact that the government was having to use funds allocated for other projects for road maintenance because of the damage that people were causing to roads and the removal of other road furniture like guard rails and metal gratings.
As a result, he warned those who engaged in such behaviour to stop since they would not be absolved if detected.
Mr. Agbodza asked the road safety units to take the required actions to implement the safety measures prior to the nation’s new roads being built.
In order to reduce traffic fatalities, he also asked citizens, government representatives, and political players to follow traffic safety laws.
Additionally, Mr. Agbodza lamented the devastation of numerous highways due to axle load vehicles overloading, particularly from the ports.
He said that because the loading vehicles were avoiding the loading points, none of the loading centres that were supposed to weigh the vehicles before they left the ports were operating.
Mr. Agbodza claims that the Ghana Highways Authority found it challenging to oversee the axle loading stations that had been set up all throughout the nation.
He noted, “Though Highway has jurisdiction, many of the times, the individuals at the axle loading stations appear to be having their strength from beyond Highways.”
“I think we need to have a limit as to what tonnage of loads you can carry on our roads,” Mr. Agbodza said, pointing out that the laws governing axle loading were no longer appropriate.
“No amount of fines taken from drivers or over loaders can ever be enough to repair the damage caused to the roads you and I invested in,” Mr. Agbodza stated.
He claimed that in order to prevent the country’s roads from being destroyed, the government raised the fee for overloading from GH¢5,000 to GH¢50,000.
Source: newsthemegh.com