As drivers and other road users grabble effect that comes with the lack of functioning street lights and the abandonment of non-operational ones across various areas across the country, the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Roads and Highways, Nasir Ahmad Yartey, has clarified that the responsibility for maintaining street lights falls under local authorities, not the ministry itself.
According to him, while the Ministry of Roads and Highways oversees the installation of street lights as part of road construction projects, the ongoing maintenance and management of these street lights are the responsibility of local authorities.
He explained that: “When we are constructing roads, we provide the infrastructure. So, for example, if you go to Borteyman to School Junction, you see that we’ve provided street lights very beautiful. That is what we do as a ministry. We add the provision of the streetlights to the road construction. But when we are done constructing the roads and we provide the infrastructure, when it comes to its maintenance, the law places it in the hands of the local authorities. That is why they collect levies for streetlights.
“So, if you are looking for authorities responsible for the maintenance of street lights per the laws and the policies, it is the local authorities,” he stated.
