By Solomon Gumah
Tamale, Oct 21, GNA – The Northern Youth Parliament, has held a special sitting to discuss issues on road safety in the Tamale Metropolis and solicited support of the youth and other stakeholders in ensuring sanity.
The event, held in Tamale under the auspices of the Northern Regional Secretariat of the National Youth Authority (NYA), also enabled the various stakeholders to deliberate on the road safety situation in the metropolis.
Some motorcyclists and tricycle riders, especially the young people in the area, disregard road traffic regulations endangering their lives and those of pedestrians.
However, when some of the road traffic offenders are arrested, some opinion leaders and influential members in the area intervene to ensure they avoid punishment.
Speaking during the event, Mr Mumuni Sulemana, Northern Regional Director of NYA, said the situation needed to be addressed, hence the special sitting with relevant stakeholders.
He expressed the need for the youth to demonstrate patriotism, attitudinal change, discipline and comply with road safety regulations to reduce road accidents.
Mr Abubakari Alhassan Bawa, Speaker of the Northern Youth Parliament, said members of the house would visit markets and other principal streets in the metropolis to educate people to abide by road safety regulations.
Mr Mohammed Abdul-Samad, Northern Regional Director of the National Road Safety Authority, said implementing road safety regulations required collective responsibility and so all stakeholders must get involved in tackling the issue.
Some of the participants called for the inclusion of road safety regulations into the educational curriculum, enforcement, and compliance with the road safety regulations amongst others to help address the situation.
The Northern Youth Parliament, which is under the NYA, operates like the National Parliament, where youth in the region come together to discuss topical issues of concern to draw duty-bearers’ attention to workable solutions.
GNA