The Tema Metropolitan Assembly has called for a stronger and more accountable partnership with the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority over the growing strain port activities are placing on the city’s roads and infrastructure.
Speaking during the assembly’s first ordinary session in Tema, Metropolitan Chief Executive Ebi Bright said the city continued to carry the burden of the country’s expanding port operations without receiving adequate financial or infrastructural support.
She expressed concern over the increasing number of heavy-duty trucks using roads within the metropolis, revealing that about 5,000 trucks move through Tema daily, causing severe pressure on roads, transportation systems, and public facilities.
According to the MCE, although GPHA operates autonomously within the port enclave, its activities directly affect surrounding communities and therefore require closer coordination with the assembly.
Ms Bright stressed that the assembly had legal responsibility for planning and development within Tema and insisted that institutions operating in the city must align their activities with the broader development vision of the metropolis.
She further argued that despite hosting the country’s ports, Tema received little direct financial benefit because revenues generated by GPHA were paid to the central government, while the city continued to deal with deteriorating roads and urban congestion.
The MCE called for what she described as a “revolution” in the relationship between the assembly and GPHA to ensure fairness, accountability, and sustainable urban development.
Responding to the concerns, Kwamla Ofori explained that road construction and maintenance were not part of GPHA’s direct mandate, although the authority supported such projects under its corporate social responsibility initiatives.
He disclosed that GPHA was planning to reconstruct the Tema Harbour Road and had also undertaken pothole repairs in parts of the metropolis.
On truck congestion, Mr Ofori admitted the challenge remained serious and said the authority had acquired land near the Tema Oil Refinery for truck parking to reduce pressure on the city.
He also called for stricter enforcement of parking regulations and heavy sanctions against drivers who parked indiscriminately on roads within the metropolis.
