Road accidents: NRSC to fix speed limiters on all commercial vehicles

Government says it is taking steps to implement a road regulation which will require all commercial vehicles operating in the country have speed limiters fitted on them as part of measures being taken to stem the spate of road accidents.

At least 60 persons were crashed dead last Friday and several others injured in separate road accidents in the Central and Bono East regions involving high occupancy vehicles.

Official statistics from the Police show 411 persons have been killed and 2,048 others injured through road crashes from January to February this year.

Addressing a news conference on the latest development, Executive Director of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), May Obiri-Yeboah said her outfit intends to lead a conversation on the regulation on speed limiters.

The speed limiter, she said, will “help manage speeds as a major contributory factor to road traffic crashes”.

Beyond that, she told journalists they have procured 10 speed radar guns and alcometers as well as 4,000 jackets at the cost of 1.5 million cedis to enhance the capacity of the Police MTTD in enforcing road traffic laws and regulations.

These equipment, she said will be handed over to the Police MTTD before the end of March.

Meanwhile she said the NRSC is working towards becoming an Authority to be able to “sanction transport service providers for lapses” in their operational standards just like the airline industry have.

She said Cabinet has granted approval of the Memorandum to transform the National Road Safety Commission to National Road Safety Authority.

“The Attorney General has completed the draft Bill and the Ministry of Transport is preparing to engage the relevant Parliamentary-Select Committees.

The NRSC becoming Authority, she explained, will mandate it to enforce standards on road safety as regards the design, construction and use of the road and vehicle and be responsible for the regulation of commercial transport operations and services.

Over 6 million cedis

The Executive Secretary said the NRSC has received 6.50 million cedis from the Ghana Road Fund which it has since December last year been using for the implementation of part of its action plan and comprehensive road safety education.

In line with this, she said the Commission has trained and deployed 300 graduates across Ghana to educate drivers, motorcyclists and other road users at 51 strategic locations along the major highways in the country.

She mentioned lorry terminals, tollbooths, schools, markets and public places within the communities as some of the locations the graduates have been carrying out their education on daily basis.

“In addition, the Commission has collaborated with NABCO to deploy some 500 personnel across some strategic terminals and corridors to help increase public awareness on best road safety practices,” she added.

Ms Obiri-Yeboah has asked the public to support the implementation of some critical road safety interventions to save lives on our roads, saying “Road Safety is a way of life and a collective responsibility”

“Road users must remember that the use of the road require knowledge and responsibility. All road users must demonstrate discipline at all times whilst in traffic as drivers, riders, pedestrians, passengers,” she advised.