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Timber Trucks, A Danger To Sunyani Residents

By Vincent Obeng Same Junior
Opinion Timber Trucks, A Danger To Sunyani Residents
MAR 1, 2015 LISTEN

I have observed something quite strange in the capital city of Brong Ahafo, Sunyani. I have noticed with fear and trembling, timber trucks or trailers, for want of a better word plying the principal highways at any time of the day.

This man-made threat sends a shiver down my spine when ever I'm in a vehicle or by the roadside and sees a truck with felled timber or logs. The scary thing about this is that the logs are tied up with iron chains at two ends of it on the trailer or truck.

I know very well that this has been the practice long before I was born. My concern, however, is that no one seem to see anything wrong with this practice but I do. I have heard of instances where chains have broken causing logs to kill pedestrians and other road users. It is a risky habit which must be abated in earnest.

The onus lies first on the citizenry, who is at the maximum risk, the Forestry Commission, Urban Roads Department and other authorities responsible to address this on-going habit before it causes devastating damages to lives.

We must not be at it again with our usual attitude as Ghanaians, always reactive than proactive before doing things right. Some deaths are avoidable, the picture highlighted has the probability of ending lives.

I am not being a doom sayer. I am only being a critical thinker and very proactive. If it must be done, it must be done right and well. As a nation, let's not sit for such potential accidents to occur before we take action. J.F. Kennedy once said, "our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings."

In tackling a probable danger which is avoidable such as this, I make the following suggestions;

One, because our timber is not in pure stands like in Europe and the Americas, saw mills should be established close to forest regions like in western region. Rural electrification and government support is keen because individuals financing will not suffice.

Two, if saws mills can not be established close to lumbering areas, a law mandating all timber logs to be nicely packed in covered trucks or trailers should be effected. This will be a tough one but the law binds so operators in the business will surely comply.

In the mean time, I would suggested to the Forestry Commission or Department of Urban Roads, or whoever it may concern to issue a directive for timber trucks to ply the roads at night. The reasons I hope are quite obvious; should any unfortunate incident occur, the impact would be minimal because of less road users at that time.

Together we can build a better Ghana. We will have no excuse as a people to give unborn generation for our great disservice if we fail to do things right with all the education we have had. Posterity awaits our legacies.

God bless our homeland Ghana.

[email protected]
Sunyani

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