Hundreds risk losing jobs and income as poor road leaves Kasoa commuters stranded

Josephine Amuzu 10:30 - 06 July 2026

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Poor road conditions along the Kasoa–Mallam Highway have left thousands of commuters stranded for hours, raising concerns over job security and income loss as worsening congestion and damaged road sections continue to disrupt travel.

Thousands of commuters using the Kasoa–Mallam Highway are facing increasingly unbearable travel conditions as worsening road damage and severe congestion continue to turn what should be a short commute into a journey lasting up to four hours.

The hardest-hit sections are the SCC–Old Barrier stretch and the Mallam Junction corridor, where damaged road surfaces, deep potholes and flooding have significantly reduced traffic flow, leaving motorists stranded in long queues during the morning and evening rush hours.

For many commuters of Kasoa and nearby communities, travelling into Accra has become an exhausting daily routine. One commuter described the chaos he encountered on Monday morning, saying he had never witnessed such a large number of people struggling to find transportation.

For the first time in over a decade, I woke from bed today to get to work only for me to see more than 2,000 gathered to fight for car to work, he recounted.

According to him, the few commercial vehicles arriving at the stations were already filled, while those with limited available seats charged unusually high fares because of the overwhelming demand.

See, living in Kasoa is like living in a jungle. The cars coming were almost full, the ones with small spaces were charging abnormal fares, he said.

He claimed transport fares also surged sharply, with passengers paying nearly three times the usual amount to reach Accra.

Imagine boarding car from Kasoa to Circle at a fee of GH¢30, something that's GH¢10 on the normal day, he added.

The commuter further described scenes of desperation at the stations, where passengers competed aggressively for the few available vehicles. He added that only a handful of vehicles continued to arrive while thousands of commuters remained stranded.

As at now, there's just few cars coming in and the number of people going to work are stranded, he said.

The SCC–Old Barrier stretch remains at the centre of the crisis. Large potholes, collapsed sections of the carriageway and persistent flooding have rendered parts of what was once a three-lane highway almost unusable, forcing vehicles to merge into a single lane for long distances.

Road users say the situation has been made worse by wastewater flowing onto the highway from the Bortianor and Red Top areas after a major drainage channel in front of Noble House became clogged with silt.

The stagnant water has further weakened the road surface, creating deep potholes and flooded sections that force motorists to slow down significantly or stop altogether. Traffic delays are further compounded at Mallam Junction, another major entry and exit point into Accra.

Poor road conditions around the junction continue to create additional bottlenecks, extending congestion from the SCC–Old Barrier stretch into surrounding areas.

The combined effect has created a continuous corridor of gridlock along one of the country's busiest highways, with queues often stretching from Kasoa towards Mallam during peak hours.

Commercial drivers say the poor road conditions have increased fuel consumption, vehicle maintenance costs and operating hours, while private motorists report frequent suspension damage, tyre bursts and wheel alignment problems caused by the deteriorating road.

Residents and business owners along the highway also say the prolonged congestion is hurting economic activity, with delayed deliveries, reduced customer visits and workers arriving late or exhausted after spending hours in traffic.

Safety has also become a growing concern, as some motorists attempt dangerous manoeuvres to avoid potholes or escape the congestion, while pedestrians are left with little space to walk safely because portions of the road have become difficult to use.

Many residents believe poor drainage maintenance is a major factor behind the worsening situation and are calling for the blocked drain in front of Noble House to be urgently desilted to stop wastewater from spilling onto the road.

They are also urging authorities to undertake a comprehensive reconstruction of both the SCC–Old Barrier stretch and the Mallam Junction corridor, arguing that only permanent engineering solutions will restore smooth traffic flow along the Kasoa–Mallam Highway.

Despite years of complaints, commuters say the condition of the highway continues to deteriorate with little evidence of lasting repairs.

Many fear the persistent transport challenges could eventually affect livelihoods, with one resident warning that the continued delays may cost some people their jobs."I strongly believe people will lose jobs due to the constant situations," he said.

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