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Rampant road accidents could be due to drunk driving- past
GPRTU chairman
Nkoranza (B/A), March 23, Ghanadot/GNA – Nana Opoku Baah Bentu,
immediate past Chairman of Nkoranza District Branch of the Ghana
Private Road Transport Union, has attributed the increasing
number of road accidents to drunkenness, over speeding and
unnecessary overtaking on the part of drivers.
He emphasised the need for passengers to report drunken drivers
as well as those who over speed or drive recklessly to the
police to be dealt with accordingly.
Nana Baah, 73, who is the Sanaahene of Nkoranza Traditional Area
and a transport owner, was sharing his experience as a driver
with the Ghana News Agency at the weekend.
He said studies had revealed that in spite of the educational
campaign to drivers not to drink and drive and not to drive when
drunk, some unscrupulous drivers would not adhere to such advice
and cause accidents.
Nana Baah expressed concern about how some transport owners
refused to maintain their vehicles, saying lack of maintenance
also caused accidents.
He advised drivers whose owners refuse to maintain their
vehicles not to risk operating such vehicles.
The chief disclosed that he became a professional driver in 1952
and had never got involved in an accident, adding he drove
commercial vehicles in London and never had a problem.
Nana Baah advised drivers to be very cautious while driving as
any mistake on their part could claim innocent lives.
At the Nkoranza Progressive Transport Owners Association (PROTOA)
station, Mr Anthony Akuma, a 57 year old driver, noted that most
of the youthful drivers were “only concerned with making money
and will therefore speed on the roads to make more ‘turns’ than
their colleagues.
Mr Kofi Adu, Nkoranza-Techiman PROTOA station master, called on
his colleague station masters to be vigilant on drivers who
operated by the road side without entering the main station as a
number of such drivers were inexperienced and could cause
accidents.
Meanwhile, authorities of the Transport Unions have been advised
to organise regular workshops for drivers to keep them abreast
with road regulations so they would be careful on the roads.
GNA
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