NRSC inaugurates goodwill ambassadors, advocates and communicators

By
Hafsa Obeng/Grace Princess Tarwo, GNA

Accra, Sept. 27, GNA –
The National Road and Safety Commission (NRSC), as part of its mandate to
promote road safety in Ghana, on Thursday inaugurated its goodwill ambassadors,
advocates and communicators in Accra.

The ambassadors,
communicators and advocates, totalling 50, are to help the NRSC to educate on and
advocate for behavioural change to help minimise road crashes as well as
casualties in the country.

Mr Daniel Nii Kwartei
Titus-Glover, the Deputy Minister of Transport, said road safety required a
more disciplinary approach that combined emergency services and education to
the benefit of the country.

He said everyday six
people died due to road crashes adding that as at August, this year, 8,874
people were involved in road crashes, out of which 1,546 died.

He said the most
important role of road safety institutions was raising awareness about the
dangers on the road and called for public collaboration to propagate road
safety regulations and its adherence.

“Road safety
regulators cannot be everywhere and the idea to have advocates and
communicators would help to sustain the education on road safety and would go a
long way to assist the DVLA to reach out to various sessions of society.”

Mr Titus-Glover noted
that the challenge the NRSC faced was empowerment and that currently there was
a policy before Cabinet for amendment to give them some powers in terms of
compliance.

He said it was the
mandate of the Ministry to support its agencies, particularly the NRSC and the
Driver and Vehicle Licencing Authority, and that it would do its best to ensure
that targets of reducing road crashes were met.

“It is my hope and
prayer that you would go out there with the mantle of speaking on behalf of
road safety institutions, and use your enviable positions to influence the
people on the need to adhere to road safety regulations.”    

Mr Kwame Koduah
Atuahene, the Head of NRSC, said the goodwill ambassadors, advocates and
communicators would be working voluntarily and would target to reach out to
places where the Commission could not reach.

He said the key
communication would be on reducing high speed, minimising distractive driving,
managing pedestrian safety, and ensuring the passenger and motorcyclists’
safety through regular meetings.

Mr Atuahene said the
Commission had put in place strategic tools to enhance communication, saying
the use of social media, road user education, outreach, campaigns, publicity
materials, billboards and lollipop stands would be among the tools.

Drivers, passengers,
pedestrian, vehicle owners, children and the entire Ghanaian populace would be
the target to help increase visibility, social corporate responsibility,
improve national image and the country’s economy, and create opportunities to
build a Ghana beyond Aid.

Mr Atuahene said the
ambassadors include administrators, members of the clergy, politicians, media
personnel, musicians and opinion leaders.

GNA

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