PRESIDENT Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the weekend embarked on a three-day tour of the Ashanti Region to thank the people of the region for their support during last year’s election which won his party-the New Patriotic Party-the mandate of the Ghanaian people to form the next government.
WHILE on the tour, the president interacted with the various transport unions in Kumasi. Among the issues he raised and which caught our attention was fatalities on our roads. According to the president, his administration was ready to ensure that fatalities on our roads are reduced, stressing that this would be done through a multi-faceted approach.
THE president lamented the rising spate of carnage on our roads, describing the development as “unfortunate and unacceptable.”
IN this regard, President Akufo-Addo told the gathering that he had directed the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service to control the indiscipline exhibited on our roads by motorists.
INDEED, the president’s call to the MTTD is one in the right direction. Today believes that if the Department was vigilant and up to the task, the sheer indiscipline on our roads which contribute to needless fatalities every month should not be happening.
STATISTICS available at the Ghana Police MTTD indicate that 2,890 road crashes were recorded from January to March 25, 2017 as against 2,830 cases in the same period in 2016. One of the causes identified for road crashes is broken down, disabled and abandoned vehicles on the country’s highways and other link and arterial roads.
IT has been estimated that abandoned and disabled cars on our roads averagely contribute to about twenty-two percent (22%) of deaths of accidents recorded annually. This is why Today welcomes the news that Road Safety Management Service Limited (RSML) has deployed some towing trucks across the country for the pilot phase monitoring of the National Towing Project expected to be rolled out on May 1, 2017.
ACCORDING to management of RSML, the deployment which was done at the weekend is geared towards further clamping down and managing broken down vehicles on the country’s roads. In essence, the deployed towing trucks will ensure that broken down vehicles are cleared off from our roads to help prevent avoidable accidents.
WE recall early this year that the country painfully lost a former Member of Parliament (MP) for Akwatia in the Eastern Region, Dr. Kofi Asare, after his car collided with a broken-down vehicle on the Nkawkaw stretch. Obviously, this was one accident that could have been prevented had the broken-down vehicle been towed.
IT is in the light of the above that Today is calling on stakeholders including the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), Driver, Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the MTTD of the Police Service to play their part when the project kicks-off next month. Most road accidents can be prevented and we must all contribute our quota towards achieving that target. Yes, Mr. President is right to say that the fatalities recorded on our roads and highways are unfortunate and regrettable.
Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.
