A number of MPs have expressed concern about the alarming rate at which road accidents are sending people to their graves.
The MPs who were contributing on road accidents yesterday urged the Ministry of Transport and Communications to introduce a new Road Traffic Bill in Parliament for consideration.
This is because the old law on road traffic is obsolete.The MPs were of the view that a new traffic law would regulate the conduct of drivers and spell out punitive measures for offending drivers.
The MP for Dormaa East, Mr. Stephen Adoma-Yeboah attributed road accidents to human error rather than mechanical faults and suggested that it should be tackled with all the seriousness it deserves in order to reduce the carnage on the roads. "Iam gripped by deep sorrow to say that on May 30, 2001 I lost my landlady at Wamfie at Dormaa East," the MP said.
The MP for Effutu, Mr. Mike Hammah said a new law is necessary to regulate such an important sector of the economy.
Mr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo MP (Fanteakwa), attributed road accidents to the ease with which drivers acquire driving licences in Ghana. He suggested closer collaboration between the Vehicle Examination and Licensing Department and the Motor Traffic Transport Unit of the Police Service.
The sector minister Mr. Felix Owusu-Agyapong assured the MPs that his ministry would take steps to reduce accidents on the roads. He announced that a governing board for VELD will be inaugurated soon to tackle the issues.
