Switch on the traffic lights and stop the promises!

Greater Accra has waited long enough for order on its roads. For years, residents have endured the same daily reality: traffic lights that refuse to work, congestion that refuses to ease, and streets that become hazardous for motorists and pedestrians alike. In a city where time is already scarce and public safety is always under pressure; the malfunctioning signal system is not a minor inconvenience but a persistent threat.

So, when the newly appointed Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, pledged to repair at least 70% of non-functional traffic lights within her first 50 days in office, many citizens understandably welcomed it as a sign of renewed seriousness. The promise felt like hope, because Accra has learned to associate leadership with action, not speeches. For people who have watched infrastructure deteriorate while daily risks increase, any credible plan can sound like relief.

Residents across the region described the initiative as a turning point. They want to believe the government has finally listened to the people, and that urgent public concerns are being treated as urgent. They want leadership that moves fast, communicates transparently, and delivers visibly.

Yet, after her announcement, what the public has witnessed on the ground raises a troubling question: Is this promise strong enough to match Accra’s reality, and is it being enforced with discipline across the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and agencies responsible for execution?

A careful look across Accra reveals a much deeper problem than the Minister’s target suggests. Several residents and road users report that about 80% of the traffic lights have not been functioning for a very long time, not merely recently failed or temporarily out of service. That difference matters. If the true proportion of broken signals is closer to 80%, then a “70% fix” target, even if achieved, may still leave the city with a dangerous deficit. Accra does not need partial relief. Accra needs safety.

And the problem does not end at the traffic light itself. In many areas, where signals are dead, the public expects a structured response from traffic enforcement and policing. What citizens observe, however, is not consistent command or proactive traffic management. In some places, police officers are present to direct traffic, but they often appear to “relax” when vehicle flow increases, standing aside in ways that undermine the very purpose of their presence. There are also reports of officers engaging in phone conversations while they should be actively coordinating movement at busy junctions.

To the ordinary motorist trying to move through gridlock, this is not “human error” or a minor lapse. It is a sign that the system, while perhaps staffed, is not operating with the level of urgency the situation demands. When traffic lights fail, enforcement must tighten, not loosen. Otherwise, motorists remain trapped between chaos and confusion, and the city loses the chance to turn a repair initiative into real improvement.

This is why many citizens feel that the Minister’s pledge risks becoming what Accra cannot afford: a nine-day wonder—a short burst of hope followed by a return to business as usual. When promises are made publicly, they become part of public trust. And trust, once damaged, is difficult to rebuild.

The Minister must therefore do more than announce targets. She must ensure execution.

First, she needs to communicate clearly and continuously. The public should not only hear “70%” and “50 days.” Accra needs a public roadmap: which specific corridors and junctions will be repaired first; how the repairs will be staged; what percentage is completed each week; and what the next steps will be for the remaining non-functional lights. Transparency is not optional—it is the mechanism that keeps promises from fading.

Second, the Minister must whip the relevant Chief Executives in the various assemblies into action. Traffic light maintenance and repair is not a task for one office alone. It requires coordination among municipal bodies, contractors, engineering units, and procurement processes. If any part of the system lags—whether due to bureaucratic delay, lack of prioritization, or failure to allocate resources—then the Minister’s pledge must be treated as a leadership command, not a polite request.

Third, there must be an enforcement and performance standard. If signals are out, policing and traffic control must be more disciplined and more active, not less. Officers must coordinate movement fully at peak hours, without distraction. Where personnel are present but ineffective, the public will naturally interpret it as neglect.

Finally, Accra’s citizens deserve results that go beyond numbers and headlines. Yes, targets like “70%” matter. But what matters most is whether the city’s roads become safer, more predictable, and less chaotic. People want to cross roads with confidence. They want to drive without fear of sudden collisions at intersections without signals. They want enforcement that matches the seriousness of the challenge.

Accra is not asking for perfection. It is demanding reliability. So, let the message to the Minister be clear, respectful, and firm: Do not let this become another political promise. Deliver in stages, publish progress, coordinate across Assemblies, and demand accountability from every actor in the chain. Repair the lights—and ensure that while they are being fixed, traffic enforcement and coordination do not collapse.

Accra has suffered long enough. The city deserves more than hope. It deserves action that holds under pressure.

By Innocent Samuel Appiah

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