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42 people die weekly on Cape
Coast-Accra road
Cape Coast, March 24, Ghanadot/GNA - The Western Regional
Coordinator of the Ghana Road Safety Commission (GRSC), Mr
Bismark Boakye on Tuesday said an average of 42 people die
weekly on the Mallam-Yamoransa Highway through motor accidents.
According to him statistics from his organisation indicated that
between 2003 and 2005, motor accidents claimed an average of
five lives on daily basis.
He said as a result the Commission together with other
stakeholders introduced measures which reduced the incidence to
four from 2005 to 2008.
Mr Boakye, who said this at a meeting, called on the Regional
Police Commander to evolve strategies to curb the carnage on the
region’s roads.
It was attended by transport unions, officials from the Driver
and Vehicle Licenses Authority (DVLA), GRSC, the Police and some
commercial drivers.
Mr Boakye was unhappy that instead of having a downward trend on
accident cases due to the regular road safety education carried
out by the Commission, accident cases were rather going up with
a rise in the death toll.
Mr Boakye said President Mills had instructed that from Monday,
April 6, 2009, the police and the Commission together with other
stakeholders should strictly enforce road safety regulations.
He said commercial vehicle drivers plying long journeys would be
made to carry log books to monitor their routes to help prevent
fatigue driving, while heavy vehicles would be compelled to use
reflective stickers.
Mr Boakye appealed to the transport unions to organize frequent
seminars and courses for drivers to sustain the awareness
creation.
Chief Superintendent Charles Oduro Botchway, the Regional
Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), added
that there would be snap checks, particularly during the night.
Chief Sup. Botchway advocated for the enactment of a legislative
instrument to ban the use of mobile phones when driving.
The Regional Police Commander, DCOP Akayire Kamparah said from
January to March last year, a total of 132 accidents involving
160 vehicles with 19 deaths and 111 injured were recorded.
He said this year for the same period the nation had recorded
186 accidents reported cases involving 327 vehicles with 60
deaths and 166 injured.
He appealed to all stakeholders to join forces and work
collectively to help reverse the trend.
GNA
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