Drivers, traders, shoppers, and travellers are all concerned about the ongoing delays in the collection and disposal of trash produced at the Circle Neoplan Station in Accra.
The waste that is produced in the busy terminal is left unattended for days, creating a breeding ground for flies and mosquitoes. On Monday, the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited the Station and saw mountains of trash right in the middle of the terminal.
Some motorists and business owners have referred to this as an eyesore and a hassle. In an interview with the GNA, Mr. Farouk Sani, a freight driver, complained that officials were paying little attention to the issue.
He said that facility administrators had ignored many concerns from truckers, traders, and passengers. “We have been battling over this for some time now. We have brought this to the attention of the Neoplan Station Welfare Secretary, but nothing has been done, he charged.
Mr. Sani said that since people were choosing to use other, "cleaner" bus terminals in the city, the issue was having a detrimental effect on commercial operations at the Station.
"It severely affects us since nobody would search for your service while there is garbage here.
Additionally, he said, "I don't sleep here, but I have a friend who does, and I know that if there is a cholera epidemic in the future, it will effect him."
Ms. Nyarkoa Okyere, a merchant, complained that the location had an unpleasant odour, especially in the hot afternoons. She warned that if the problem wasn't fixed right away, Station visitors may suffer grave health effects.
I rarely visit this Station due of the rubbish problem. Before we sell here, we all pay the AMA some sort of fees, and the truckers do as well. However, the management of the facility are not using the money to enhance the sanitary conditions here, she lamented.
Neoplan Station's leadership, however, has denied accusations that it was paying little attention to the issue.
Even while he acknowledged that the issue was a serious one, Mr. Kassim Alhassan, the Station's Welfare Secretary, asserted that management was making every effort to resolve it.
In order to find a long-term solution to the issue, he claimed that management was continually in communication with the facility manager, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, and Zoomlion Waste Management Company.
He said that in order to provide relief to everyone, the Station's administration was looking for a more practical location to transfer the garbage dumping site.
To ensure efficient trash management at the Station, he stated, "We are looking for a location outside the Station to build up a garbage collecting facility."
Mr. Sani urged the AMA to take action by stepping up surveillance and supervision of companies hired to handle garbage in the city to make sure they performed their duties successfully and efficiently.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr. Douglas Tagoe, Greater Accra Regional Environmental Health Officer, stated that such circumstances might lead to allergy illnesses like asthma and skin rashes. He also added that diseases like cholera, typhoid, and dysentery could also manifest.
"The issue is that the service providers' work is subpar. Some people don't have the tools necessary for the job, but when they seek contracts from Assemblies, they go hire some of the tools.
He stated, "I believe that the Assemblies must start to guarantee that they actually complete the work when the contracts are issued."
Mr. Tagoe encouraged the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies to bring legal action against waste management firms who failed to uphold their obligations to act as a deterrence to the others.
According to reports, Ghana spends $290 million a year on subpar sanitation.