Techiman, (BE/R), June 26, GNA – Madam May Obiri-Yebaoh, the Director-General (D-G) of the Road Safety Authority (NRSA), has invited the transport industry stakeholders to interrogate and make inputs into the draft Legislative Instrument (LI) of the Authority for presentation to Parliament.
She said as the Authority finalises consultations and discussions on the bill, views and suggestions were welcomed from stakeholders to fine-tune it to facilitate its passage by Parliament by August this year.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the side-lines of the Bono East Regional Consultative meeting to sensitive stakeholders on the bill at Techiman in the Bono East Region, she emphasised the LI was needed urgently to ensure realistic enforcement of the NRSA Act, 2019 (Act 993) to curb avoidable and unnecessary road accidents in the country.
The NRSA has started a nationwide consultative meeting on the draft LI that will regulate road transport operations in the country.
When passed, the LI would enable the NRSA to enforce standards, to promote sanity and reduce crashes on the road.
It would further advance realistic enforcement of provisions in the Act 993 which established the Authority.
The meeting was attended by leadership of transport unions, representatives of traditional authorities, officers of road sector agencies and security services and operators of garages, vulcanizers and drivers.
Mrs Obiri-Yeboah explained the NRSA made available copies of the draft bill to all major stakeholders in the transport and road sectors and therefore expected of them to examine and make inputs into it.
Describing the increasing wave of crashes on the country’s roads and highways as unacceptable, the DG indicated after the passage of the bill into law, the Authority would enforce its provisions to the letter and that would require efforts from stakeholders to achieve, she added.
Mrs Obiri-Yeboah said it was unfortunate road accidents killed more than 2,000 people in the country every year, and expressed the hope that with the coming into being of the LI to strengthen the NRSA’s Act enforcement, accidents on the road would be brought to the barest minimum.
Mr Kofi Amoakohene, the Bono East Regional Minister, commended the NRSA for the intensified road safety education, saying the bill was necessary because it would greatly empower the Authority to enforce complaints and bring sanity on the road.
He advised transport operators and road users in general, to support the Authority in fine-tuning the bill, to help identify and address pertinent challenges contributing to road crashes in the country.
Mr Amoakohene who is the Member of Parliament for Atebubu-Amantin Constituency promised to take a leading role to facilitate the passage of the bill when brought to Parliament.
Mr Kwame Koduah Atuahene, the Head of Regulations, Inspections and Complaints Department of the NRSA who gave highlights of the draft bill said when passed, the Authority would train and certify vulcanisers, mechanics and transport operators for them to operate at certain standards.
Earlier in a welcoming address, Mr Kwasi Agyenim Boateng, the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional Manager of the NRSA said similar meetings had already been held in the Bono and Ahafo regions, saying the Authority was highly impressed about the level of participation.
GNA