Thirty billion cedis needed to improve Kumasi streetlights

Thirty billion cedis would be required to improve on the street lighting system of the Kumasi Metropolis to enhance security at night, Mr Charles Ampomah-Mensah, Metropolitan Engineer, has announced.

The lighting system of some major ceremonial streets in the metropolis had already been selected for repairs with funding from the Ministry of Energy, Mr Ampomah-Mensah disclosed at a meeting of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) in Kumasi.

The Metropolitan Engineer said the Energy Ministry had agreed to award on contract, the routine maintenance of Kumasi streetlights to private firms, which periodically repaired those of Accra and Tema.

This arrangement would ensure that Kumasi did not experience unnecessary long spells of darkness. Mr Ampomah-Mensah said nine major roads and drains in the metropolis were to be rehabilitated at a cost of 4.1 billion cedis under the Periodic

Maintenance Works Project of the Department of Urban Roads.

The assembly asked the Department to stop designing open drains for Kumasi since such designs tended to encourage the dumping of refuse in gutters.