The Ministry of Roads and Highways has launched an innovative app and call centre, dubbed “Maintain My Road,” to allow citizens to report road defects in their communities for prompt attention. This initiative aims to streamline the reporting and addressing of road maintenance issues, ensuring quicker responses and more efficient repairs.
The “Maintain My Road” app, available on both Android and iOS devices, enables users to upload pictures and descriptions of road defects, tagging the exact location using GPS to track the status of their reports. Additionally, the call centre will operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays to Fridays, providing a direct line for those without smartphones to report road defects, hazards, and other related issues.
Over the next five months, the initiative will be piloted in main trunk roads and urban centres such as Accra-Tema, Kumasi, Takoradi, and Tamale. The call centre will be staffed by multilingual personnel fluent in English, Twi, Ga, and Ewe, and will be equipped with a geolocation-enabled dashboard to accurately pinpoint reported issues.
The “Maintain My Road” system is part of the ministry’s Enhanced Roads Maintenance Programme, leveraging technology to transform the country’s road infrastructure. The initiative is supported by an allocation of 60 percent of the Road Fund maintenance budget, covering critical maintenance activities such as pothole patching on major trunk roads and urban centres, repair of traffic signals, and spot improvements on feeder roads.
Minister of Roads and Highways, Francis Asenso-Boakye, launched the initiative in Accra, highlighting its necessity to cut costs associated with badly damaged road surfaces and ensure efficient responses to maintenance issues.
“The mobile app will enhance public engagement, enabling citizens to report road issues and contribute to maintenance efforts directly, ensuring efficient response and timely resolution of issues,” he stated.
The ministry has already identified critical trunk roads requiring urgent assistance and has put plans in place to address defects on those sections.
“The Accra-Kumasi highway will see major maintenance activities that will drastically improve road conditions, as well as the Accra-Tema Motorway,” Mr. Asenso-Boakye added.
Mr. Asenso-Boakye further emphasized the government’s commitment to developing an integrated, efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable road transport system that supports growth and poverty reduction.
John Afful Jnr, a member of the Road Fund Board, assured that funds for routine and periodic maintenance would be prioritized to ensure commuter safety and comfort. He also mentioned collaboration with the Ministry of Finance to secure necessary exemptions from the Carbon and Realignment Act 2017, Act 947, to maintain ongoing projects and continuously improve road infrastructure.
The Board Chairman of Ghana Highway Authority, I.K. Mensah, called for cooperation with law enforcement agencies, suggesting that linking police call centres directly with the app would ensure prompt addressing of issues requiring police intervention.
