Narrow highways roads in Ghana are killing us – Awingobit

Samson Awingobit Asaki, Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, has said narrow highways in Ghana were one of the major causes of head-on collisions in the country.

Mr Asaki said that it was evident that most of the head-on collisions which led to the loss of lives of travellers were mostly due to the narrow highways connecting the various regions especially the Accra to Kumasi, and Accra-Cape Coast-Takoradi highways.

He said the Ghana Road Safety Authority must be able to ask government to dualize the roads, explaining that because the roads were narrow, when vehicles that failed their brakes or had other mechanical issues, they had no choice than collide with oncoming vehicles.

He made the call at a Road Safety Campaign platform initiated by the Tema Regional Office of the Ghana News Agency and the MTTD, which is aimed at providing continuous education on the need for road users to ensure safety on the roads.

The Importers and Exporters' Executive Secretary noted that road carnages could also be avoided when stakeholders in the transport industry sensitize their drivers and equip them with the needed skills before allowing them to use the roads.

Mr Asaki also called on the Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service to clamp down on recalcitrant drivers who speed on major roads in the country and engaged in other road traffic offence.

He said drivers, especially commercial drivers on their part should not drive when stressed, as doing so put their lives and that of the passengers in danger.

Mr Asaki also urged passengers not to sit unconcerned when commuting in vehicles, which the drivers did not adhere to the regulations governing driving in Ghana.

The Tema GNA and MTTD Road Safety Project seeks to create consistent and systematic weekly awareness advocacy on the need to be cautious on the road as a user, educate all road users of their respective responsibilities, and sensitize drivers especially of the tenets of road safety regulations, rules and laws.

GNA