The Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Agbodza, has expressed concern over the rising theft of traffic light components across the country.
Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, June 10, he revealed that even installations located in highly secured areas have not been spared.
“The irony is that even the one in front of the Police Headquarters was also stolen,” he said.
Mr. Agbodza has raised concerns over the persistent theft of key components and damage caused by reckless driving, saying these factors continue to undermine efforts to maintain a functional traffic light system across the country.
He disclosed that Ghana currently has about 415 traffic light installations, noting that more than 60 percent are still operational despite ongoing challenges.
According to him, many of the outages are not simply due to technical faults but deliberate vandalism.
“Many times when you see traffic lights not working, it is, on many occasions, deliberate. People go and vandalise the chambers and remove metal components, which are then sold as scrap,” the Minister said.
He added that some drivers also crash into traffic light poles and fail to report the incidents, further compounding the problem. In many cases, he noted, the cost of repairs far outweighs the value of the stolen scrap materials.
Mr. Agbodza called for greater public vigilance and cooperation to help protect road infrastructure and ensure a more reliable traffic management system nationwide.