
The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) is requesting from government a new mandate which will give it an Agency Status with the power to demand safety from institutions and organizations that will renege in their responsibilities of ensuring safety on the roads.
According to the Commission, the spate of road injuries and deaths is becoming alarming and that the though, an urgent action is needed, the Commission under its current mandate cannot do much to make a change.
Addressing a media conference in Accra yesterday, the Executive Director of NRSC, Eugene May Obiri Yeboah said it has become necessary that NRSC’s role as a lead agency is legally enhanced to ensure that they are able to compel institutions whose operatio0ns have a bearing on safety on the roads to adhere to standards.
She challenged the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service to set up actions that will ensure that only competent drivers and vehicles enter the road space and charged vehicle owners and drivers “not to see this action as harassment but rather it is for our collective public good. Let’s enforce the laws.”
Giving provisional data on the 2017 road traffic situation in the country, Eugene May Obiri Yeboah stated that a total of 12, 843 cases of road traffic crashes resulting into 12,166 injuries and 2,076 deaths have been recorded.
She also pointed out that the date is a 2.66% and 7.73% increase in the cases recorded in the same period in 2016.
“Again in 2017, a total of 3,043 road traffic offences were processed for courts out of which 2,509 cases earned convictions including 13 custodial sentences with GH¢1,240,862 paid as fines,” she revealed.
She averred that road traffic incidents have become a source of worry for road safety advocates, managers and stakeholders looking at the rate of crashes and carnages within January 2018.
According to her, 1,071 crashes have been recorded this year with 180 deaths and 1,171 injuries.
She mentioned that “I must also mention that so far this year, as at 31st January, 2018 Two hundred and fifty three (253) pedestrians have been knocked down by motor vehicles and 65 of them have lost their lives.”
She however indicated that the Commission had carried out investigations into these unfortunate incidents and discovered that the most prevalence among the causes of these carnage is negligence and disregard for road traffic regulations on the part of drivers.
She cited excessive speeding and overtaking without due care for oncoming vehicles.
She said: “Also revealing among the contributory factors were deficiencies associated with road infrastructure. The absence of road signs, roadway markings, street lighting and safe crossing facilities for pedestrians are issues that continue to find space in the list of crash contributory factors.”
Eugene May Obiri Yeboah said safety on the roads is a shared responsibility and that everyone must play a part since government on its part has, trough the passing of the Road Traffic Act and Regulations (Act 683 of 2004 and Road Traffic Regulations 2012, LI 2180) provided policy and regulations for safe management of transport and traffic in the country.
“It is required that institutions and individuals apply the provisions for the good of public safety on our roads.”
She averred that the time has come for road agencies to demonstrate utmost responsibility for safety by ensuring that our roads are adequately and properly signed, well-lit and devoid of dangerous potholes and physical objects.
“We also want to call on the agencies to ensure that contractors working on roads install the appropriate traffic management and safety signs and do well to protect trenches and other physical objects such as tips of sand and chippings.” She said.
The Commission was however appreciative of the President’s deep concern for the recent spate of road crashes in the country which led to the setting up of an inter-ministerial Committee to draw proposal on how to curb the menace.
She said: “It is the expectation that the Committee will expedite action to put His Excellency the President in a well- informed position to get the problems addressed.”
By PROSPER AGBENYEGA