Appoint road safety Minister – PROTOA

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been urged to consider creating a new office dedicated solely to safety on the country’s roads to effectively bring down Ghana’s accident statistics and attendant loss of lives and injuries.

The Chairman of the Kumasi branch of the Progressive Transport Owners Association (PROTOA), Mike Appiah, made the call to the president on Saturday April 1 when Mr Akufo-Addo addressed commercial drivers in Kumasi on the second day of his three-day tour of the Ashanti Region.

The appeal came after Transport Minister Kwaku Ofori Asiamah revealed at the same event that “over 3000” souls perished on the country’s roads in 2016 while 354 others lost their lives in January and February, 2017 alone.

“354 persons died [on our roads]. That is what is official; those not reported we do not know. Last year, over 3000 persons lost their lives through road accidents. So we are pleading you – road safety is very dear to us,” he urged

In response, the PROTOA boss urged Mr Akufo-Addo to appoint a “Road Safety Minister” to complement the work of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) and bring down the casualties.

“The work of the [National] Road Safety Commission entails a lot, but they lack logistics. What we would suggest... with many dying through motor accidents …we transport owners ask for a Minister of Road Safety so issues of road safety can be brought to the fore with someone dedicated to that... The souls being lost are too many,” Mr Appiah suggested.

Transport owners also called for an “academy” for drivers, a school that will offer formal training for drivers to build their capacity, arguing that such a move will ultimately lead to reductions in road fatalities while such drivers could form a pool from which VIPs, including Ministers, can hire chauffeurs.

Meanwhile, at the meeting, President Akufo-Addo appealed to drivers to do their best to ensure this year’s Easter records the least number of road crashes.

Mr Akufo-Addo said there was the need for road users to observe regulations while government plays its part by putting in the necessary checks including registration and licensing of drivers and vehicles.

“We must sit down and take a look at all the regulations in the transport sector. We’re going to do that with you to make sure that there is proper licensing and a proper registration system in place that will protect all of us. So I’m giving you that assurance.

“Also, this Easter, we should make it a matter of concern that this year, the accidents on our roads during the Easter period, we’ll bring them down. Everyone should decide that we are going to observe the rules on the road and make this Easter the best in terms of casualties and accidents on our roads this year. This is my biggest wish I put before you. Help me realise it.”