THE MINISTRY of Roads and Highways has overspent its approved budget on assets in 2014 by 121 per cent while disbursement on goods and services was only 0.8 per cent for the same year.
The ministry was allocated GH�48,316,158.00 on assets in the 2014 budget, but as at September, 2014, the ministry spent GH�106,688,964.00 representing 220.8 per cent disbursement while budget for goods and services was GH�1,293,581.00, only GH�10,000.00 was disbursed as at September, 2014.
These figures were contained in the report of the Roads and Transport committee of Parliament on the annual budget estimates of the Ministry of Roads and Highways.
According to the report, the ministry in protecting investments made in road infrastructure undertook routine maintenance on 13,459km of trunk road network, 7,269km of feeder road network and 4,735km of upgrading and pothole patching on urban road network.
The ministry also did re-graveling improvement and resealing works on 76km, 776km, and 645km stretches of trunk, feeder and urban road networks respectively as part of the periodic maintenance activities.
Despite these claims by the ministry, the committee, in its report expressed disappointment at the level of maintenance on the roads and had reservations on the 45 per cent of the country's roads the ministry claimed are in good condition in the 2014 fiscal year.
The committee also noted that the �rate at which potholes develop on newly constructed roads and existing ones are very alarming. Indeed, potholes are one of the banes of motorists. Aside enhancing the destruction of vehicle shocks/suspension system, potholes serve as death traps.�
It was also observed that high vegetation cover along the sides of the roads narrows the road carriageway and inhibits the view of motorists and pedestrians.
The committee in its report also observed that the application of the law on axle load limit as stipulated in the new road traffic regulations, LI2180 among others has affected the transit trade with neighboring landlocked countries at the two seaports of Tema and Takoradi.
It added that �while strictly applying the rules by virtue of our membership of ECOWAS and enforcing the 60 tonnes for six axle trucks per the protocol, some of the Francophone countries are not adhering to the agreed weight but are allowing 68 tonnes for six axle trucks thereby attracting the landlocked countries to their seaports.�
The committee thus recommended that the ministry identifies all transit routes within the country's network and improve the road pavement structure in order to accommodate the increased tonnage and ensure that the transit goods are carried on the identified routes only.
It was also noted that there was funding gap of between 40 and 50 per cents in the maintenance of the nation's roads with the amounts accruing from tolls and levies to the Ghana Road Fund being inadequate to pay for routine and periodic maintenance, minor rehabilitation, upgrading and road safety works.
The committee thus recommended that government increases the allocation to the ministry during the 2015 fiscal year to salvage the country's roads from total collapse.
<<Print>>