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27.03.2019 Opinion

The Carnage On Our Roads Could Be Avoided

By Amegashie Ben-Glover
The Carnage On Our Roads Could Be Avoided
27.03.2019 LISTEN

Not long ago, we canned our political differences and voted massively for the creation of new regions. If it were to be a WASSCE examination, that would have been aggregate six flat. Thanks to the leadership of the country for championing such a course.

Like Oliver Twist, we, the citizens are asking for more. We are asking for better roads. The rate of road accidents is quite alarming. Therefore, we are asking the authorities to fix our roads for us.

Before the death of our sister, the Late Priscilla Opoku Kwateng, (Ebony), many were those who had lost their lives on that Mankraso stretch of the Sunyani – Kumasi road.

Just last week, Tamale-Kintampo and Ekumfi-Dunkwa of Mankessim – Accra roads couldn’t help but to gulp the blood of poor innocent souls. If I may ask until when will our roads be free from such incidence?

The Eastern corridor road is another brouhaha. Drivers from Kpeve cannot freely move through the mountain to Ho. Drivers from Ho have to use a long distance (Dzolopkuita) to Hohoe. Worst of it all is from Kpeve to Nkwanta, Damanko and eventually entering Bimbila.

If we could come together, irrespective of our political colours, why can’t we do the same in ensuring safety on our roads?

Should it always be that an opposition party sees nothing good in a ruling party’s administration? And when the tables turn, the tradition continues?

I believe we have the means to make Ghana a better place than it is today. On that note, I appeal to the road ministry, National Road Safety Commission, our able Police Service, and other concerned bodies to discharge their duties diligently and seek new and improved ways of ensuring safety on our roads.

The traffic lights, road signs and the deepening of the defaced road marks that would be done are equally good and timely interventions. They should have been proposed earlier. However, as the adage goes, better late than never.

I also believe that it is high time we made our highways dual carriages. If we, the citizens could support the creation of new regions as a result of the difficulties we have been encountering, then I believe with the same spirit, we can equally champion dual carriages on our high highways.

The poor and innocent are in pain. They are crying over the loss of their loved ones as a result of no fault of theirs. We can do a lot today before the political storm hits the ground in relation to 2020 elections.

Additionally, i beseech our transport companies to do a lot to help their drivers. In-service training on highway-related matters wouldn’t be out of place. If experts are driving such busses and this is our fate, then the future is a blur. Well, even planes are crashing as in the case of Ethiopia. But as that country’s aviation sector is doing her homework in order to avoid future occurrences, I believe that our transport ministry can equally do the same here.

To our Police Service, creating more interim barriers would not be a bad idea. As we have on the Denu to Ho road, we can have such on our highways in other parts of the country. By doing so, the carnage on our road will be reduced to the barest minimum.

Furthermore, I appeal to the National Road Safety Commission to take advantage of social media and so much education for the citizenry in order for us to know how to relate with our drivers.

As a tree doesn’t make a forest, I pray for a collaborative effort between government and the citizenry so that together, we can salvage the carnage on our roads. For, loss of lives affects productivity which goes a long way to affect our motherland.

Thank You.

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