Madam Bih Melissa, aged about 53, thought of postponing her trip to the Muea Market in Buea after spending nearly 30 minutes by the roadside on July 11, unable to catch a cab, as most taxi drivers avoided driving to that part of town.
When she finally found a taxi, she heaved a sigh of relieve, but complained of the transport fare and murmured at how much things have changed in Buea, compared to when she started living there 15 years ago.
Mama Bih is among thousands of city dwellers who now find it very arduous moving from one part of the city to another owing to the worsening state of roads within the Southwest Regional capital.
“Getting a taxi to Muea Market is as difficult as getting a Visa because most drivers do not want to go through the stress of navigating that road,” she told The Post at Great Soppo, while trying to catch a taxi to Muea Market where she sells smoked fish.
“I have lived in Buea for 15 years and I have seen how things are evolving and changing to the worst. It seems like the more we pray for a change, the worst rather happens. Muea Market that used to be one drop is now two drops because taxi drivers are afraid of car damages and we can’t blame them and this has therefore, led to an increase in transportation.”
Buea denizens groan as city’s road condition worsens
Road conditions in Buea have worsened since the onset of this year’s rainy season. Major roads within the city are riddled with potholes, standing water, and blocked gutters, which make movement difficult for drivers and pedestrians alike.
Road sections like the stretch of National Road Number 8 linking Mile 16 Bolifamba to Mile 17 Motor Park, Mile 18 and Muea has been in a dire state since last year and commuters say it has only worsened as authorities continue to give it a blind eye.
“You see that Mile 18 road going to Muea? I cannot even attempt going there because, if I try, then my car will get ruined and I don’t have money to buy another one,” said Tah Bong, a Buea-based taxi driver.
“…The last time I went there, my car got stuck just at the centre of the road and it took me hours, with the help of some people, to get out of that hole because my car is low. I finally told my passengers to board another car and I lost money and petrol. I reversed back, because going ahead was like suicide mission,” he furthered.
Some drivers moving to Muea are forced to use informal routes in neighbourhoods in an attempt to escape bad portions of the road. But such manoeuvres are usually twice longer than the normal road and contribute to higher transport fares.
The poor road conditions have caused a spike in transportation fares, as well as long waits by passengers, as drivers struggle to cover up the cost of regular vehicle repairs.
“The little profit that I make from my fish business I use it all for transport. From where I live, Bakweri Town to Muea, I pay FCFA 600 almost every day, something that used to be FCFA 300 for one drop. Please, the government should do something about this. We’re just begging,” Bih Melissa said.
Tah Bong and other road users who spoke to The Post think authorities are not doing enough to make the roads better.
“And the most painful part is that the Council is doing very little about it which is not enough. Because even when they attempt to fix it, the quality of material that they use is one that will last for only few months,” he regretted.
Frustrated with the government’s inaction, some city dwellers have decided to fill potholes with soil and stones scavenged from the environment. But not only is this unsustainable, it regularly gets them into trouble as government policy forbids ordinary citizens from repairing national or urban roads.
At Sandpit, The Post met with a resident who regularly uses soil and stones to fill potholes on the road. He said he decided to do that because they had waited in vain for local authorities to act.
“I have lived in Buea for six years now. This road was not like this. I’m not saying that it was perfect before but at least, it was better than this. Since the Council doesn’t want to fix the roads, we have decided to make small adjustments on this Sandpit road,” he said.
“We know that it won’t last but at least it will help our brothers and sisters who are driving. In fact, when we see the council fixing roads, we don’t even take it seriously because we know that the repairs won’t last because we don’t trust the quality of the material that they use. We usually beg these drivers to support our work to at least encourage us because it is because of them that we are here. It’s not easy, but the council should try to do something, because the road is worsening by the day,” he added.
While blame is being shifted to the Municipal Council for neglecting intra-city roads, sources within the Buea Council say it is not the Council’s duty to rehabilitate roads like the Mile 17-Muea road, as this stretch is part of the National Road.
National Roads in Cameroon are controlled by the Ministry of Public Works in Yaounde. Early this year, the Ministry announced plans to rehabilitate some dilapidated roads in Fako Division, including the Bekoko-Tiko-Limbe-Idenau road and the Mutengene-Buea road.
However, it remains uncertain if the Mile 17-Muea road, which also links Buea to the towns of Muyuka and Kumba, will be rehabilitated anytime soon.
By Tabi Brinette (UB Journalism Student On Internship)