Lawyer and urban development advocate David Ofosu-Dorte has raised concerns about the state of transportation infrastructure in Accra, warning that inadequate investment and weak public coordination are limiting the city’s ability to function efficiently and compete globally.
Speaking during a roundtable discussion on Channel One TV on the theme, “Building Competitive Cities: Infrastructure, Innovation and Investment for Sustainable Economic Growth,” Mr. Ofosu-Dorte argued that transportation remains the backbone of every successful city and should not be left solely in the hands of private operators.
According to him, no major city in the world has achieved sustainable growth without strong public oversight and planning of its transport systems.
“You can’t have any functioning city where transportation is in the private sector’s hands,” he stated, stressing that effective urban mobility requires coordinated public investment and long-term planning.
Mr. Ofosu-Dorte noted that many of Ghana’s urban development challenges stem from inadequate data-driven planning and a failure to align infrastructure expansion with population growth and movement patterns.
Using comparisons with London, he pointed out that while Greater Accra occupies a larger land area than Greater London, the Ghanaian capital lags significantly behind in transport infrastructure and accessibility.
He explained that nearly 70 percent of daily travel demand in Accra is concentrated in the city centre, creating severe congestion and increasing pressure on existing infrastructure.
According to him, policymakers must pay closer attention to how the city’s population fluctuates during the day and how commuting patterns affect economic productivity and service delivery.
Mr. Ofosu-Dorte further highlighted disparities in land allocation for transportation infrastructure, noting that approximately 27 percent of London’s landmass is dedicated to roads and mass transit systems, compared to about 14 percent in Accra.
The infrastructure gap, he said, continues to constrain mobility, limit economic opportunities and reduce the city’s competitiveness.
He called for a shift in how cities are planned and managed, urging authorities to view urban centres as dynamic economic entities that require continuous modelling, investment and strategic planning to meet the needs of growing populations.
The discussion formed part of broader conversations on how Ghana can build resilient and competitive cities capable of supporting sustainable economic growth in the years ahead.
