Western Regional Minister, Dr Kweku Afriyie, has bemoaned how successive governments have neglected the country’s railways sector.
According to him, the railways contribute immensely to the country’s economic fortunes; hence the neglect of the railways sector by successive governments has affected the country’s development significantly.
“The attitude of successive government towards the railways sector has been hurting because historically rail transportation has played a very key role in our development as a region and in fact, it has been one of the key sectors which because of its inactiveness has deprived this region and the country at large of the needed revenues which could change the country’s economic fortunes,” he said.
The minister made this revelation during a day’s workshop which sought to review the nation’s transport policies in Takoradi.
He added that the inactiveness of the railways sector has put pressure on the roads in the region as minerals like bauxite, manganese which used to be transported via rails, are being transported on roads.
For instance, he said, the main arterial roads from Sekondi-Takoradi, through to Tarkwa, Bogoso Sefwi-Wiawso to Elubo are in a deplorable state due to the activities of heavy trucks transporting minerals to Takoradi Port.
He patted the Akufo-Addo government for efforts in revamping the railways sector as when fully revamped “will offer a multiple choice of transit and also support a competitive economy as well as make development within the region very balanced.”
He also urged the transport ministry to be keen in developing roads in rural areas, especially cocoa roads.
Story: From Simon Ahensah, ATV, Takoradi, Western Region
