Making Bicycle A Safe Means Of Transport In Africa

A sea of bicycles in Amsterdam

The Oxford dictionary defines “vehicle” as a conveyance for transporting passengers or goods on land or in space. In this case, besides a car, lorry, train, airplane, a bicycle is also accepted as a means of transport to apply on the road.


That means a cyclist has the right to use the road without any horn hooting or harassment of the rider by other road users. An integrated transport policy is not viable without the implementation of structures allowing the development of cycling.

There are many reasons the bicycle is essential and important to users. The bicycle enables one to get somewhere very fast when there is a traffic hold-up. It is energizing to use a bicycle, and it eliminates stress. 

Among all transports, it is the cheapest, as you don’t need fuel, and no license is required. Ecologically, the manufacturing and use of a bicycle, as well as the planning of space for its use, create much less solid waste and no pollution.

In Ghana, the bicycle plays a major role as a means of transport in the North for farmers who have no other means of getting to their farms and home. But at the moment, bicycles are fast emerging as an urban means of transport. 

Transportation is a problem in most big cities. It is therefore not a crime for a cyclist to get to work or wherever he intends to go on a bicycle. 

But on the road, some road users think the cyclist has no right at all to be on the street. They torment cyclists with the blaring of horns and even scream at them at times.

Actually, it is very frustrating to most drivers when a cyclist is ahead of them or at any inconvenient place along the road. Bicycles can cause traffic on a busy road. 

Some cyclists have contributed to road accidents many times. But that doesn’t mean that they have no right to use the road; after all, motorists are also involved in road accidents. 

Walking through the city of Accra, there is nowhere one can find a bicycle route by the side of the major roads. For example, the Accra – Kasoa road is a very good level constructed road, but it was constructed without any bicycle lane.

In Europe, a cycling plan aiming to develop cycling was approved in the ’80s. Revised annually, it considers the implementation of a network of cycle lanes and the transformation of parking places into bicycle parking. 

This network is built in order to reinforce the safety for cyclists, with stop signposts placed before those for cars, and crossroads redesigned for cyclists. 

In Ghana, roads are constructed without any consideration for bicycle users. Nothing is planned in the country by taking the future into consideration.

I believe that if the government implements the construction of bicycle routes in its future projects, there will be a free flow of traffic in the cities, and that would also help to reduce the traffic holdups that motorists are currently facing.

It’s a well-known fact that a lack of finance is one of the major setbacks affecting Africa’s infrastructure and projects. But if a specific project would be a solution or an answer to a problem, then the government should take it into consideration. 

For example, in Europe, to prevent traffic jams and ensure the safety of cyclists, the Netherlands has been successful with bicycle routes running throughout the towns and cities. A journey of about 50 to 100 km could easily be done by bicycle. 

In Trondheim-Norway, a bicycle lift has been put up in the center of the town to facilitate access to another town called Brubakken, and in Belgium, a bicycle tunnel has been built under the sea to link the two cities of Antwerp and Linkeroever. 

It takes ten to twelve minutes to go to Linkeroever from the city of Antwerp, while the bus takes about twenty minutes.

As Ghana gradually matures into a great nation, the government must include the construction of bicycle routes in its future road projects. Bicycle plays a very significant role, not only as a means of transport but also in promoting good health.

The saga of waste disposal and poor drainage system in Africa

An open rubbish ground in Nairobi, Kenya

The disposal of household waste worldwide is a problem that continues to increase with the development of industrialized nations and the growth of the population. 


Poor waste disposal not only breeds mosquitoes in tropical countries but could also cause an epidemic of widespread disease. After colonialism, most African countries were left in a very poor state, especially in terms of their methods of waste disposal and drainage systems.

The question is, if the Europeans are technically advanced in building underground drainage systems and there is no gutter found in any part of Europe or America, why did they fail to execute such projects in Africa during colonialism? 

Visiting Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Guinea, I saw one common thing: choked gutters. 

The gutters are filled with rubbish and debris, thereby causing an impediment to the movement of water during rainfall. Many countries in Africa experience drought during the dry season, and when it rains, many times there are often more floods because of the poor drainage system.

The most dangerous of all is within Accra Central. Opened concrete slabs: after the evacuation of refuse from gutters, they are left uncovered, thereby causing more hazards to pedestrians. 

I’m wondering how many people have been injured or broken a foot by accidentally falling into these gutters, while those responsible are left free to answer queries and charges for negligence, or even to compensate the victim.

The primary aim of any government is to promote good health for the citizens of the country. Maintaining good health in Third World countries could be very expensive, but one of the best ways to reduce health costs is to maintain a proper waste disposal system. 

Mosquitoes are commonly seen in Europe during the hot period in summer, but surprisingly, they do not carry any disease like malaria. Doctors don’t agree with Africans when they complain of malaria because there is no place for mosquitoes to breed such sickness in Europe.

Waste can be divided into many different types. The most common methods of classification are by their physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. 

Federal regulations classify waste into three categories. Non-hazardous materials are those that pose no immediate threat to human health and the environment. 

Household garbage is included in this category. Hazardous wastes are of two types. Those that have common characteristics, ignitability, or reactivity, and those that contain toxic components.

With the rapid increase in population, many methods of waste disposal came into existence, with landfill as the most common of all the methods. But this is the most cost-effective method of disposal. Refuse is also burned in incinerators. 

It is more expensive but a safer method of disposal than landfills. To avoid throwing away garbage indiscriminately, the government needs to come out with a scheme that would ensure the proper way of waste disposal to avoid floods due to the blockage of drainage systems within the country.

Refuse to recycle by sorting; it takes time, energy, labor, and money to make new products from recycled ones. 

Ghana is gradually climbing up from the slums of colonial infrastructure, but until it develops a modern method of improving its waste disposal and improving its drainage systems, please let’s help to keep the city clean. 

People found disposing of refuse and answering nature’s call indiscriminately must be arrested on the spot to pay a fine. These are some of the methods implemented by the European Parliament, and the plan has worked. 

Firstly, the cities are kept clean; secondly, the money goes into the government's coffers as a sort of tax-generating.

Joseph Hill: The reggae prophet who inspired peace

The great Joseph Hill of the group 'Culture.'

I have followed musicians for most of my life, but few have shaped my spirit the way Joseph Hill, the legendary lead singer of Culture, did. In the late 1970s, his lyrics struck me with a force I had never felt before. Among his many classics, one song changed my life completely: “Rally Round Jehovah’s Throne” from the album International Herb.

Its message guided me spiritually and placed my feet firmly on the right path. Joseph Hill was not a politician. He was a humble musician whose voice rose against injustice, corruption, discrimination, and the moral decay of society. 

Yet his influence reached farther than many world leaders ever achieved. His music carried truth, courage, and a prophetic tone that resonated across continents.

A Musician Who Loved Africa in Deeds, Not Just Words

Many artists sing about Africa, but few ever set foot on the continent. Joseph Hill was different. His love for Africa was not symbolic; it was lived. He visited several African nations, including Sierra Leone, even during times of war. His presence alone earned him recognition as a peace ambassador, not just a singer.

Joseph Hill Live

He toured war-torn regions, calling for unity and calm. During one of his visits to Sierra Leone, the rebels sent a chilling message to the head of state: “You should be glad Joe Hill is in the country, or we would destroy it within twenty-four hours.”

Such was the respect he commanded, a musician whose voice could silence guns.

A Conversation I Will Never Forget

In 2004, after his performance at the Pole Pole Festival in Gent, Belgium, I had the privilege of interviewing Joseph Hill. That conversation remains one of the most profound moments of my career. 

He told me, "Greed is the stumbling block that has denied peace between the Palestinians and the Israelites.”

He was the first reggae artist to perform a peace concert aimed at uniting Palestinians and Israelis. His courage was unmatched.

A Spiritual Presence on Stage

Seeing Joseph Hill live was a spiritual experience. Many believed he was a prophet, much like Bob Marley. On August 18, 2006, he arrived at the venue “Petrol” in Antwerp for a performance. 

I searched backstage for him but couldn’t find him. Suddenly, I heard his voice; he was already on stage. When I reached the front, I saw him performing with the same passion that made Culture legendary. 

However, something was different. 

His physical appearance had changed. He stood in one place, no longer dancing or kicking as he used to. He sang every song the fans requested, but he left the stage earlier than expected.

Backstage, I saw him walking with Albert Walker, one of Culture’s original members. Something held me back from speaking to him. I left the venue with a heavy heart.

At home, my wife noticed my sadness. I told her, “Joseph Hill is very sick. I fear he has completed the task God gave him on this earth.”

That night, I played Culture’s music for hours. My wife complained, but I couldn’t stop. Something in my spirit was unsettled.

By noon the next day, the news broke: Joseph Hill had died in Berlin, Germany.

A Loss That Can Never Be Replaced

His death was a shock to the reggae world and to everyone who loves peace, justice, and righteousness. The vacuum he left can never be filled.

Related post: Freed Jamaican reggae star Buju Banton stronger than before

He honored Bob Marley with Psalms of Bob Marley and called for global unity with World Peace. His music was not entertainment; it was a mission.

Joseph Hill was born on January 22, 1949, and passed away on August 19, 2006. He left behind his wife, Pauline, and his son, Kenyatta, who continues the Culture legacy.

Joseph Hill was truly a “Slice of Mount Zion.”

Everything in this world will pass away, but his music, his message, will remain forever. May his soul rest in perfect peace.