- The Ministry of Roads and Highways in Ghana has launched a maintenance mobile app called "Maintain My Road" and a call centre as part of an enhanced road maintenance programme.
- This initiative is designed to provide a way for the public to report road defects, including potholes, via the mobile app.
- The app, available on the App Store and Google Play, allows users to upload pictures and descriptions of road defects and tag their exact location using GPS.
Per reports, the call centre, serving as an alternative to the mobile app, will be staffed by multilingual personnel fluent in English, Twi, Ga, and Ewe. Besides, they would be equipped with a geolocation-enabled dashboard to pinpoint reported issues accurately.
The Enhanced Maintenance Programme is designed to engage the public in resolving potholes and other road defects within the nation's road network. Francis Asenso-Boakye, the Minister of Roads and Highways, highlighted that despite previous road projects, there persists a gap in routine maintenance. This shortfall has resulted in ongoing issues such as potholes, road defects, restricted access to rural areas, accidents, and urban congestion.
He added that initiatives like the call centre and mobile app are intended to ensure timely and effective action in maintaining the roads.
Moreover, the Ministry plans to pilot this initiative for the next five months, focusing on main trunk roads and urban centres such as Accra-Tema, Kumasi, Takoradi, and Tamale.
As the nation launches digitalisation initiatives, it intends to increase 4G penetration from 15% to 80% over the next three years through Next-Gen InfraCos (NGIC). Additionally, the government aims to establish 4,400 4G and 5G telecommunications sites to enhance the country's high-speed connectivity.
In April 2024, the National Communications Authority (NCA) approved SpaceX's Starlink to operate in Ghana, enabling the company to provide satellite broadband services across the country.
Furthermore, Ghana's digitalisation plans also include becoming the first blockchain-powered government in Africa, as announced by Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia in May 2024.
