Government Releases Cash to Fight Road Carnages

The President, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo has given approval for an action plan aimed at reducing the rate of road accidents in the country.

Following the upsurge in road accidents recently, stringent measures in the areas of education, enforcement and engineering have been outlined to curb the menace.

In a statement signed by a Deputy Minister of Information, Curtis Perry Kwabla Okudzeto, the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) would be resourced with an additional GH¢ 6.5 million from the road fund, to scale up public education and sensitization on road safety.

“Enforcement of road traffic laws by police through spot fines by automation of MTTD operations” must be observed while government “partners with private owned towing companies and Nationwide Traffic Management and Enforcement Limited (NTMEL) to vigorously enforce regulations,” the statement revealed.

President Akufo-Addo has also given the executive backing for an amount of GH¢335 million to furnish the activities of the Ghana Highway Authority, Department of Urban Roads and Departments of Feeder Roads

This amount is expected to be an annual allocation which would aid in the provision of signage and road markings for roads across the country, over a three-year period.

The Ghana Police Service, NRSC and other road sector agencies have therefore been tasked to immediately commence the enforcement of the action plan as approved by the president.

The NRSC is appreciative of government’s intervention to curb the menace of road accidents in Ghana and according to them, if the president’s action plan comes into fusion, accidents would reduce drastically.

This week has been a gut-wrenching as reports of crashes which killed and injured several Ghanaians in separate incidents came it. Close to 30 of these deaths occurred in the Northern Region alone.

Nana-Addo For Chief Ambassador

Meanwhile, Director In-charge of Planning and Programming at the NRSC, Ing. David Osafo Adonteng has requested in humility that President Akufo-Addo becomes the lead ambassador for road safety.

According to him, though it is the commission’s mandate to play the lead role in championing, promoting and coordinating road safety activities in Ghana, it would be of great gain if the president continually adds his voice in the fight against the menace.

Speaking on Accra based Atinka FM, Ing. Adonteng said “the president should always use any platform he gets to speak to Ghanaians on the need to observe road safety measures.”

“There are somethings that if you don’t get advocates for them it may be difficult. When the president speaks, he has spoken and people would listen to him because he carries the power to convince the masses,” he argued.

By: Grace Ablewor Sogbey/ [email protected]