Causes Of Traffic Jam

Have you stopped to think of how and why we encounter traffic congestion everyday on our roads? Well one would like to attribute this to the rapid growing population we face as a country, leading to the increase in the number of trucks, commercial and private vehicles. Moreover, one would not scroll through the streets of Accra without encountering wrong parking, and sometimes slower speeds, which is also another cause of traffic jam.

This has become a monster to commuters since it shows its ugly face in the morning, making people go to work and school late, resulting in low productivity.  During the rush hour, people being in a hurry to go home and relax are are caught up in this stressful and frustrating traffic jam, which may be dangerous to one’s health psychologically, physically and emotionally. Also fumes that comes out from vehicles are very dangerous to one’s health.

In addition to the frustration that comes along with being in traffic is  the higher rate of fuel burns as compared to travel on the open highway.Therefore after spending more on fuel, as well as delay and time waste, you are assured of low input resulting in lesser output.

Traffic jams also bring about road rage, this is as a result of frustrated drivers throwing tantrums. In this situation drivers try to overtake since they think those in front of them are not making any efforts to maneuver their way out of the traffic congestion. Few days ago I witnessed an incidence on the motorway where I saw some drivers out of frustration in traffic jam trying to maneuver their way out of the situation, which resulted in a serious accident causing the deaths of about three people. The bad conditions of our roads also makes it impossible for one to drive at a required speed.

.

Emergency vehicles like fire service, police service and ambulance encounter difficulties   getting to the rescue of people resulting in loss of lives.

The enormous cause and effect of traffic jam cannot be over emphasized. There have being suggestions here and there as to how to solve this canker, but inquiring from a primary school pupil, she gave this brilliant idea as to how to go about it, she suggested an overpass at the various intersection and roundabouts to allow vehicles move through various route to prevent  congestion at a particular point.

Some drivers also suggested expansion of some roads. But on the issue of expansion, I see so many buildings at the edge of our road. And if I may ask, did the government think the population will never increase, and never bothered demarcating space for expansion, or citizens just ignored instructions and set up buildings on these demarcated areas. If this is the case, are our policies as a nation being enforced or those policies are just in black and white?.