Roads Minister Kwame Governs Agboza: Install Speed Monitoring Cameras To Reduce Road Accidents

Similarly to how the disease AIDS is killing thousands of people on the continent of Africa, road accidents in Ghana take hundreds of lives every year and suddenly end the life of a healthy individual. According to the National Road Safety Authority, or NRSA, in the year 2024, 2,276 persons lost their lives in 14,135 recorded road accidents involving 23,998 vehicles. Although this has long been a troubling problem, governments have not yet come up with ways to reduce the number of traffic accidents.

In an effort to persuade the former government, the NPP, to give the issue top priority and put policies in place to reduce road accidents and save the lives of victims, I wrote a number of articles, including "Make Ghana Roads Safe With Belgium Road Safety Plan." "Christmas is quickly approaching; drive safely instead of recklessly." "In Ghana today, armed bandits would end your life if you are not murdered in a traffic accident," and "So You Think You Know How To Drive? However, nothing emerged from them.

It's quite difficult to stop writing about how many people are dying in road accidents in Ghana, despite the fact that all the articles I have written are serving no purpose. Therefore, to get Akufo Addo's attention on the troubling issue, I wrote another article on January 24, 2019, titled "Why Night Travel in Ghana Is Often Dangerous," yet the incompetent and lazy Akufo Addo proved as always that he is not interested in the welfare of Ghanaians or road accidents, more than widespread corruption.

That wasn't the end; after venting my frustration, I wrote more articles about road accidents and safety, including "Making Bicycle A Safe Means Of Transport In Ghana," "How Safe Is It To Ride A Bicycle In Ghana?" and "Can Breathalyzer Be Useful In Ghana To Reduce Road Accidents? However, nothing of value emerged from them as usual. Honestly, Ghanaians endured eight wasteful years of incompetence, corruption, and negligence under the administration of Akufo Addo and Bawumia.

I had already given up on this topic until I came across the Roads Ministry's announcement of "New road and bridge tolls to generate revenue for maintenance" on ModernGhana's news website, hoping the new government can consider some of my articles by implementing the same policies the Belgian government has used as measures to create road safety awareness and revenue generation. I am therefore humbly calling on the Minister for Roads, Hon. Kwame Governs Agboza, to respond.

Many drivers in Ghana are unaware that certain roads require speeds of 30, 50, 70, 90, or 100 kilometers per hour. As a result, over-speeding has killed thousands of people and still does because Ghanaian roads lack proper road signs, boards, other crucial traffic directories, and speed monitoring cameras that take down violators' license plates to pay fines. In both Europe and the US, this approach has proven to be highly effective in reducing traffic accidents and generating income.

No one in a developed country escapes a traffic fine because all vehicles are computerized and registered. If you break a traffic rule, you will receive a letter from the police within two weeks, stating the time and the road you were on. In December 2024, I was driving on Bisschoppenhoflaan, a busy street in Antwerp, when I failed to notice that a section of the road that used to be 70 km had been changed to 50 kmh. I received a letter from the police with a fine of 68.00 Euros.

There is always time to pay after receiving such letters; you will receive a reminder letter when the payment date has passed, and the amount will be increased if you don't pay again. Many drivers in Ghana run red lights; this is what traffic cameras in Western nations search for the violators to pay a fine. Once more, Ghana has hundreds of roads without lights, which contributes to traffic accidents. I shall respectfully ask the incoming administration to provide lighting beside both the new and old roadways.

Depending on how long a car will be parked, drivers can insert money into parking meters to prevent careless parking. This approach also generates income and maintains the cleanliness of the city. Although corruption is one of the reasons the continent is not progressing despite the abundance of resources, many African leaders hate challenges. Therefore, I shall rely on Mahama's administration to implement some of the recommended changes to make Ghanaian roads safer and more useful.