Accra, May 15, GNA – Bloomberg Philanthropies, a US non-govermental organisation, is collaborating with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to provide technical assistance in safer streets design and mobility, enforcement and education to ensure road safety in the capital.
The partnership is to address road safety through promoting the use of seatbelts and child restraints, helmet wearing by motorcycle riders and their passengers, reducing drivers’ speed and incidence of drink-driving on the roads of Accra.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, Mr Mohammed Adjei Sowah, Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive of Accra, said enforcement of g traffic rules and regulations remained one of the greatest challenges to achieving sanity on the roads.
He said the Assembly would continue with the collaboration with stakeholders to upgrade the skills and knowledge base of the Metropolitan Guards to review the regulations guiding their operations to enforce laws in the city.
Mr Sowah noted that some of the city’s roads over the years had become dangerous for road users as population grow, adding that a number of re-engineering works to widen or reduce kerb sizes and general infrastructural works was being undertaken by the Assembly.
He said road safety was a critical global, national and city priority, which needed rigorous multi-sectoral approach to reduce the serious toll of deaths and injuries, since road crashes killed a million people annually.
Mr Sowah indicated that from 2011 to 2015, there were 12,877 road traffic crashes which occurred in the city, of which 24 per cent were fatal resulting in 891 deaths and 2,877 seriously injured victims.
He expressed worry about reckless behaviour on the part of motorcycle drivers in the form of not using helmets and not obeying traffic signals which was a high risk factor of road crashes.
He said the Assembly was putting measures to increase enforcement and amendment of existing laws.
‘It was estimated that government will lose 1.6 per cent of Gross Domestic Product this year as a result of road crashes and urged all authorities for decisive measures to address the menace of road crashes.’
GNA
By Kodjo Adams, GNA
