The Minister of Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has issued a strong warning to residents living along major highways to stop constructing unauthorised speed ramps, describing the practice as a nationwide problem that is endangering motorists and damaging road infrastructure .
The Minister issued the warning during an inspection tour of the Wa–Han–Tumu Road in the Upper West Region, where he noted that some of the speed ramps being erected by communities are excessively large and unsuitable for highways, where vehicles travel at higher speeds .
A Nationwide Problem
Agbodza acknowledged that residents may be acting out of concern for community safety, attempting to slow down speeding motorists. However, he stressed that taking the law into their own hands could create a bigger safety problem.
“It is a nationwide problem, so we need to encourage our people along highways to stop doing that because they basically damage the road. Highways will build speed-calming features on the roads. I am not sure whether it will be this unhealthy and threatening speed ramps or they will have other, more humane ways of doing it, because I told them the huge speed ramps don’t work well for a highway, so we should find other ways,” he said .
Motorists Also Urged to Respect Speed Limits
The Minister also appealed to motorists to drive within the speed limit on various sections of the road, arguing that responsible driving would reduce the pressure on residents to construct their own speed ramps.
“It is also important for motorists to drive within the speed limit on various sections of the road. I think that is part of the reason people are taking the law into their own hands. So, we are going to appeal to people living along the highways to desist from building their own speed ramps,” he added .
Government to Install Approved Measures
Agbodza assured residents that where speed control is necessary, the appropriate authorities would install approved traffic-calming measures. He said the Ghana Highway Authority would assess areas where speeding poses a danger to communities and introduce measures that are suitable for highways .
He stressed that road safety was a shared responsibility and urged communities to work with the relevant authorities rather than altering highways themselves .
Background: A Persistent Problem
The warning comes amid growing concerns over the practice of residents installing large concrete ramps on highways across the country. This is not the first time the issue has come to the fore:
· Community Motivations: Research indicates that frequent pedestrian fatalities, the need for safer crossings for vulnerable road users, and perceived inaction by the Ghana Highway Authority are key motivations for communities to self-construct speed humps .
· Safety Risks: These illegal ramps, which are often poorly constructed and lack warning signage, have been linked to road crashes and vehicle damage. Studies show that many such ramps exceed the Ghana Highway Authority’s recommended height of 75 mm, posing significant risks to motorists, particularly at night or in low visibility conditions .
· Legal Framework: Under the Ghana Highway Authority Act, 1997 (Act 540), only the Ghana Highway Authority is empowered to construct speed ramps. Section 22 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 2012 further makes it an offence for any person to cause any object to be placed on a road without lawful authority .
The Minister’s appeal aligns with the government’s broader efforts under its Big Push infrastructure programme to improve road quality and safety across the country, with more than 2,000 kilometres of roads currently undergoing reconstruction or upgrading .
