The Executives of the Agona Swedru branch of the Cooperative Transport Union have organized a capacity building workshop for its members to ensure safety on the road during the Christmas festivities.
According to the executives, the Union has identified festive seasons, particularly Christmas as periods that most road accidents were recorded.
Speaking to the Press after the workshop, Mr. Fredrick Kwame Eghan, Secretary of the Union said the executives have intensified the Road Safety Campaign ahead of the Christmas periods to avert carnage on the highways.
Mr Eghan said figures released by the Ghana Road Safety Commission indicates that between January and September this year over 1,000 people died and over 8,000 sustained various degrees of injuries through road accident.
The Union Secretary said the situation was worrying and unacceptable requiring immediate action by all interested groups, including the government, transport unions, drivers, passengers, private and public institutions and security services to reverse it.
Mr Eghan stated that many road accidents occurred as a result of drivers disregard for transport regulations.
He said some drivers speed unnecessarily, disregarded road signs and markings among other violations.
Mr Eghan urged passengers to observe vehicles carefully before boarding them.
Reverend S.K, Afari, Chairman of Swedru/Winneba branch of the Co-operative Transport Union said the Ghana Road safety Commission and Agona Swedru MTTU personnel have had road safety campaign education with the drivers on the need to observe road sign regulations.
Rev Afari urged drivers who load at the unauthorized places, especially Swedru Texaco filling station to stop because it is against the rules and regulations of the Agona West Assembly and MTTU.
He appealed to the MTTU and Transport Unions taskforce to intensify their operations to ease traffic congestion in the Municipality during Christmas.
