Lapaz road crashes reduced – Mayor

The Mayor of Accra, Mohammed Adjei Sowah, has said the rate of road crashes and fatalities at the Lapaz intersection on the N1 highway in Accra has reduced drastically due to the road safety enhancement works carried out on that stretch.

According to him, records from the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service indicate that road crashes at the Lapaz intersection have reduced from 16 to 5 percent.

Mr. Sowah disclosed this when he addressed the media after the inauguration of the road safety enhancement works at the Lapaz intersection on Friday.

The works, which were carried out with support from the Bloomberg Philanthropies' Partnership for Health Cities (PHC), forms part of efforts by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to enhance pedestrian safety in the city as well as reduce road crashes and fatalities at the intersection to its barest minimum.

The works include increasing of pedestrian signal timing from 18 to 42 seconds, lowering kerbs at pedestrian crossings, narrowing of lane widths, widening of median refuge, replacement of damaged signals and crash barriers as well as re-marking of pedestrian crossings and other pavement markings.

“We have widened the medians to accommodate more pedestrians before crossing the entire 14 lanes. Traffic signal for pedestrians which used to be 18 seconds has now been increased to 42 seconds. The kerbs have also been lowered to enable people who use wheelchairs and other physically challenged persons, cross this intersection with ease,” he indicated.

Mr Sowah said the high pedestrian volumes recorded at the intersection and the need to protect the road users, informed the enhancement works.

The AMA with support from the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Initiative for Global Road safety (BIGRS) recently presented some reflective cones, lighting batons, reflective vests, directional and instructive signages and gloves to the Accra Central MTTD to complement the department’s efforts in bringing sanity on the roads in order to reduce crashes and fatalities.

The mayor expressed his appreciation to the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) and the Department of Urban Roads (DUR) as well as others, who assisted to ensure the successful completion of works and urged the pedestrians, drivers and other road users to obey road traffic regulations to prevent any eventuality.

The Municipal Chief Executive of Okaikoi North, Mr Boye Laryea, commended the AMA-BIGRS and PHC for the enhancement works and expressed the hope that it would help reduce road crashes and fatalities at the intersection.