Urban Congestion and Pollution: A Quest for Cogent Solutions for Accra City

Abstract

Transportation plays instrumental role in the socio-economic development. Road transport is such vital sector which contributes significantly to the growth of many economies. Efficient, affordable, reliable and safe transport system is the most desirable and suitable form of transportation system required to facilitate development. Accra, the capital city of Ghana in West Africa is engulfed with traffic congestion. Accra has the highest motorization rate in the entire country, however, road infrastructure in the city is woefully inadequate. Rapid population growth attributable to rural-urban migration has exacerbated the demand for transportation services. The city contributes a quarter of the total gross domestic product of Ghana and attracts overwhelming 83% of all direct foreign investments (DFI) in the whole country. The projected population growth is 2.4% per annum from 2016 to 2030, a rise from the 2.0% between 2000 to 2016. Carbon dioxide emissions increased by a whopping 285.71% between 1990 to 2012. Annual mean particulate matter (PM2.5) μg m-3 score for Accra is 31.1 μg m-3. Nearly 3000 deaths are recorded annually in Accra attributable to outdoor air pollution related ailments. Traffic congestion in Accra could be significantly reduced through array of potential solutions such as transportation sector policy reforms to incorporate smart and intelligent transportation systems, expansion of road network through adequate investment in infrastructure, strict compliance and enforcement of traffic regulations.