Some 117 people died in road accidents in W/R last year

Takoradi, Jan. 9, GNA- Some 117 people died in road accidents in the Western Region in 2007 as against 92 deaths in 2006, Mr Thomas Bismark Boakye, Regional Coordinator of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), said on Wednesday. Speaking at the first stakeholders meeting with the media for 2008 at Takoradi, he said 764 vehicles were involved in accidents in 2007 and 768 in 2006. Mr Boakye said 163 of the accidents were serious cases in both last year and 2006. He said 82 of the cases were fatal in 2007 while 2006 had 64 fatal cases, adding that, 568 accidents were reported in 2007 as against 567 in 2006.

Mr Boakye said the Commission would remove all vehicles that have been parked at roadsides for two weeks and over in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis in a bid to make the roads safer, especially as Ghana 2008 was approaching.

He said the owners of the vehicles would be prosecuted, fined and made to pay for the cost of towing of their vehicles. Mr Boakye said the Commission would also remove sand and stones dumped on pedestrian walkways and fine their owners. He said the Commission and all major stakeholders are leaving no stone unturned ensuring safety on the roads. Superintendent Victor Adusah-Poku, Regional Commander of the Motor Transport Traffic Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service said a parking lot has been constructed for articulated trucks at Apowa to help road congestion in the metropolis.

He said all articulated trucks loaded with cocoa parked at roadsides in the metropolis waiting to be off-loaded at the Takoradi harbour would be re-located to the parking lot next week. Superintendent Adusah-Poku said the registration centre for the offloading of cocoa has been re-located to the parking lot and urged the articulated trucks to move to Apowa. He said the region still has a problem with pedestrian knockdowns and drunk driving.