Stakeholders walk to promote child pedestrian safety

Stakeholders in Road Safety in the Upper West Region have embarked on a road walk to promote child pedestrian safety in the Wa Municipality.

Led by the Regional staff of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) and members of the Regional Road Safety Committee, the participants carried placards with various messages to drum home the need to protect child pedestrians on the road.

Some of the placards read “promote child pedestrian safety”, “drivers, reduce speed and save kid’s lives”, “children have right of way” and “parents, be responsible for your children’s safety on the road” among others.

The road walk, which started at 06:00 hours, took participants through the insurance road to the T-Junction and then to the Traffic light along the J. J. Rawlings High Street and back to the forecourt of the Regional Coordinating Council, where participants were addressed and refreshed.

Mr. Mohammed Abdul-Samad, the Upper West Regional Manager of the NRSC commended participants for turning up in their numbers and creating awareness on child pedestrian safety.

He said the exercise, which marks the United Nations Global Road Safety campaign, celebrated in Ghana as the Road Safety Week Celebration, this year, focused on raising public awareness about the safety of children on the road.

Mr. Abdul-Samad said every year the world over; many children lose their lives through road accidents, hence, the need to promote best pedestrian road practices among children and the public to ensure their safety.

He advised that pedestrians walk on the left hand side of the road to face oncoming traffic so that they can easily spot and escape any danger.

He also advised children to use zebra crossing anytime they want to cross the road, adding that, drivers and motorists should also make it a duty to always stop and allow the children to cross whenever they see them at the zebra crossings.

The Regional Manager of the NRSC appealed to policy makers to ensure that measures are put in place to enhance the safety of children on the roads.

Participants at the walk include; staff of the NRSC, the Regional Road Safety Committee members, the Security Services, the Ghana Private Road and Transport Union (GPRTU), the Wa Municipal Assembly, Departments and Agencies and the general public.