Pregnant women and residents of the Taari electoral area in the Sawla District of the Savannah Region have raised concerns over collapsed bridges at Dameyiri and Taari following heavy rains in the area.
The damaged infrastructure has left the community cut off, making access to healthcare and other essential services a challenge.
One of the pregnant women expressed her fears about traveling on the damaged Dameyiri-Sawla road for medical care, citing the dangers posed by the collapsed bridges.
She recalled a recent tragic incident where a student was swept away at one of the stream crossings.
She appealed to the government and the Member of Parliament for Sawla to intervene and build proper bridges, adding that the absence of emergency vehicles in the area is exacerbated by the bad roads, making it impossible to respond to emergencies.
Taari Assemblyman, Emmanuel Servile, also expressed concern about the situation, explaining that tricycles and other vehicles are unable to safely travel on the Dameyiri-Taari road.
He noted that, school children from Dameyiri have stopped attending school due to their inability to cross the drainage to reach the other side of the community.
He appealed to both the government and NGOs to assist in constructing bridges to prevent further accidents and ensure safer travel for residents.
Commercial tricycle operators in the area have also been affected by the poor road network.
They revealed that they now charge between GH₵20 and GH₵30 per passenger, as the 18km journey from Dameyiri and Taari to Sawla has become treacherous due to the potholes and collapsed bridges.
The riders admitted to overloading passengers, a practice they say is necessary due to the difficult terrain and to cover costs.
Residents and local authorities are hoping for swift action to improve road and bridge conditions, which they believe will save lives and restore normalcy to the area.