Monrovia – In post war Liberia there are only 12 traffic lights installed only in 2013 by the Chinese, but the majority of these lights are no longer functioning.
Report by Bettie K. Johnson Mbayo, [email protected]
The ones at Rehab junction, Catholic Junction, 20th Street, 12th Street, Johnson Street intersection, Randall Street, Capitol By-Pass intersection and Freeport intersection have all been functioning over the last three months.
The Ministry of Public Works, which is responsible for maintaining traffic lights, has said the lights have been off due to electrical failure.
The ministry, however, failed to give reasons why the lights have been repaired yet. Multiple attempts from FrontPageAfrica to get an interview with the Minister or a designated authority proved futile.
The solar-powered traffic lights were a gift from The People’s Republic of China to Liberia and according to our investigation, the engineers who installed them did not train Liberians to maintain them.
FrontPageAfrica, however, gathered from reliable sources within the ministry that there was no technician in town to repair the spoilt lights.
“The lights have developed problem, the minister mandated us to contact the company and we have contacted them and they are about to do installation of new lights, and repair the spoiled ones.”
“The installation will include the Duport Road and other major areas, also it will have pedestrian lights attach as compared to the first lights,” source said.
The Public Works official who spoke on the basis of anonymity could not say how soon the new lights would be installed or the old ones repaired.
Outdated Technology
An Electrical Engineer Matthew Tompo told FrontPageAfrica that the system of traffic lights installed by the Chinese is obsolete.
He said the technology is no longer in use.
“I think the spare parts of those traffic lights are not available that’s why they haven’t worked on the light,” he said. Tompo added, “How many countries use such lights for the battery to be placed under the pole,” he rhetorically asked.
Police In Charge
Police chief of public safety at the Liberia National Policee Meekie Gray told FrontPageAfrica said the malfunctioning of the lights should not be a problem for motorists and pedestrians and the police is in charge of the situation and conducting the free flow of traffic.
He boasted that there has never been a time when pedestrians could not cross the road because the faulty traffic light.
However, where there is usually a scenario of the survival of the fittest at many intersections when there is no police officer conducting traffic.
Drivers have to make their own way and in many instances, jamming up the traffic in their failure to make way for another in a coordinated manner.
In this case, pedestrians, especially school going children find it difficult crossing the streets – leaving their fate at the mercy of drivers.
According to the World Health Organization, of the 1.24 million people who die in Africa yearly, majority die in car accidents, especially in countries where poor driving conditions and weak safety laws and enforcement contribute to the high accident rates.