Road sector stakeholders urged to work to reduce accidents 

Members of the public on Tuesday called on the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) to organise periodic sensitisation workshops on road safety for the drivers to help curb road accidents. 

They said finding scientific means to address the carnage on the roads was better than trying to attribute every road accident to superstition or religious connotations. 

Mr Benedict Sowah, a Social Worker, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said it was about time the Government fixed the poor road networks to prevent the many lives that were being lost through accidents due to bad roads.

He said the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the Ministry of Roads and Transport, and the National Road Safety Commission had critical roles to play to ensure sanity on the roads and reduce accidents to the barest minimum.

Mrs Dzifa Ahonyo, a trader, blamed the increasing spate of road crashes to the conversion of Sprinter cargo buses into passenger buses adding; “These buses are supposed to be used to transport goods and not to transport human beings”.

She said vehicles used on the roads must be checked regularly by the DVLA to ensure they were roadworthy to carry passengers to ensure their safety.

She urged the GPRTU not only to concentrate on selling tickets to  drivers before allowing them to load at the various lorry stations but must make sure their vehicles were well maintained and in good condition before allowing passengers to board.

Mr Michael Osei, a student, said if stakeholders in the road sector carried their responsibilities to the letter, road crashes would be minimised and the public could go about their activities without fear.

“Let’s all play our parts to ensure discipline on our roads and stop that business of attributing every road carnage to some religious belief or superstition,” he said. 

Source: GNA