Minister launches road safety campaign

Sunyani, April 8, GNA - Mr. Kwadwo Nyamekye Marfo, the Brong- Ahafo Regional Minister, has launched the region's pre-Easter road safety education and awareness campaign in Sunyani with a call on the public to help promote road safety during the festivities. "It behoves on us as stakeholders - passengers, drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, herdsmen, cart pushers, transport associations and indeed the general public - to put all hands on deck to promote road safety to stem the carnage on our roads", he said.

In a speech read for him the regional minister said statistics showed that road accidents in the region had increased since last year and that the situation in the country was alarming. Mr. Nyamekye Marfo said he found the theme for the campaign, "Road Safety - Everyone's Responsibility" as very appropriate and timely as many people would be travelling to their hometowns for the Easter festivities.

"Let it be the responsibility of all of us to promote road safety in the country. It is the responsibility of passengers to report a drunken driver who drives recklessly to the appropriate agencies for the appropriate punishment to be meted to him." "Pedestrians should be careful when crossing the roads, drivers should observe road signs and obey them and vehicle owners should periodically maintain their vehicles", he said. Mr. Nyamekye Marfo called on all, particularly motorists, to avoid major accident factors such as drunk driving, speeding, non-maintenance of vehicles, careless overtaking and general impatience during the Easter festivities and beyond. Mr. Daniel Wuaku, the Brong-Ahafo Regional manager of National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), said the Easter season registered a high incidence of road accidents and the campaign was aimed at educating road users to protect their lives and the lives of others. He said the education campaign would be extended to the districts in the region, adding that the NRSC was in constant consultation with all major stakeholders to institute measures to deal with the increasing carnage on the roads.

These include the ban on the sale of alcohol at lorry stations, towing of broken down vehicles on highways at the expense of their owners, the establishment of a national drivers' academy and speed limiters on commercial vehicles so they do not speed above 100 kilometres per hour.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Seth Charles Oteng, Regional Police Commander, advised drivers to be focused whilst on the road to avoid unnecessary accidents.

Assistant Superintendent Paul Wesley Baah, the Regional MTTU boss, urged drivers to rest enough whilst undertaking long journeys since fatigue was also a key factor in accidents. Mr. Atta Boahen, an official of the GPRTU, advised passengers to be patient with drivers and not to do anything to distract the attention of the driver.