Monday 17th March , 2014 9:37 am
Chaos as commuters try to make sense of the situation
The decision by the University of Ghana to block all access routes into the campus to the public is reportedly causing chaos and traffic as commuters are struggling to enter and exit the institution.
The University on Saturday blocked all access routes into the school the exception of the entrance from the Okponglo intersection.
Vehicles without the approved UG sticker are denied entry into the school.
The new directive has subsequently caused traffic congestion on the Legon Madina Road and at the Link gate entrance into the school.
Some passengers and students have been forced to alight from vehicles and walk to their destination into the campus.
Jonas Ahiabor of Radio Universe reported on the Citi Breakfast Show that the “situation is very chaotic at the GIMPA Link to the University. The cars have blocked the streets and those with stickers are finding it difficult to go through.”
A parent who was on the way to drop off his child at the University’s primary school accused the Vice Chancellor of being insensitive to the situation.
He said: “The Vice Chancellor has nicodemously moved this cost [cost of rehabilitating the roads] into what he is calling the sale of a sticker and one sticker is GHC 400 per anum.”
According to him, the UG sticker is overpriced “and it amounts to the same GHC 1 that they were taking as toll” and called for the dismissal of the Vice Chancellor.
The angry parent appealed to the National Security Coordinator, Lt. Col. Larry Gbevlo Lartey and his operatives to “come and destroy this barrier too” insisting that the “Vice Chancellor was not employed to build roads.”
The authorities at the University announced the closure of access routes about two weeks ago after the school was forced to suspend its tolling system on the orders of government following a huge public outcry and the destruction of one of the school’s toll booth by national security operatives.
Prior to the closure, public announcements were made with flyers distributed to drivers who made entry into the school.
Meanwhile, the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) has disclosed that the University did not inform the Unit about its decision to block the roads.
ASP Alexander Obeng of the Unit said: “We were not informed as a stakeholder when it comes to road safety management in Ghana.”
He however gave the assurance that personnel of the MTTU will be deployed to the area to ensure the smooth flow of traffic and prevent any chaos.
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana