The Tano South Municipality in the Ahafo Region announced plans to install speed‑reducing ramps along its main highways, a move aimed at curbing the surge of road accidents that have strained local health services, especially Bechem Government Hospital.
During the second ordinary meeting of the third session of the ninth assembly on Thursday, September 3, 2026, Municipal Chief Executive Emmanuel Kwame Frimpong delivered a sessional address outlining the initiative. He said the assembly had approved the construction of speed ramps on high‑speed corridors passing through Bechem, Techimantia, and Dwomoh.
Speed ramps, designed to lower vehicle speeds from 80‑100 km/h to 30‑50 km/h, are considered a cost‑effective infrastructure upgrade that can reduce fatal and serious injury crashes by 70‑77 percent, according to field research in Ghana. The ramps would give pedestrians, schoolchildren, traders and the elderly a higher chance of survival when crossing busy roads.
In addition to physical traffic interventions, the assembly will crack down on unauthorized revenue checkpoints. Frimpong highlighted a strict enforcement focus on Techimantia to ensure municipal tax collection is secure, legitimate and properly accounted for.
The move comes amid alarming statistics: the World Health Organization estimates road traffic accidents kill about 1.19 million people worldwide each year, with speeding a direct factor in nearly one‑third of those deaths. In Africa, the fatality rate is 26.6 per 100,000 people, the highest on the continent. In Ghana, the National Road Safety Authority reports that excessive speeding accounts for over 50‑60 percent of all national road traffic collisions.
Beyond traffic safety, the assembly’s plans dovetail with broader development efforts. Member of Parliament Charles Asiedu noted that 18 communities—including Mansopa, Asikasu, Mawoaninso, Asuboe, Nyamebeye, Wuraponho, Bredi, Ninkyininkyi, Nsuta, Kyebi, Nyamebekyere, and Asukoko—will soon be connected to the national electricity grid. The electrification push is expected to boost local commerce, provide lighting for night study, and improve visibility to deter crime.
As the municipality moves forward, residents can anticipate a safer road network and a more robust local economy. The speed ramp project will be monitored closely, with updates expected at future assembly meetings.
