By Albert Futukpor
Tamale, Nov 19, GNA – Stakeholders in the road safety sector in the Tamale Metropolis have attended a day’s dialogue meeting to deliberate on ways to ensure effective implementation of road safety regulations and their enforcement in the metropolis.
The move was a response to the growing disregard for road traffic regulations in the metropolis resulting in increasing cases of road crashes and their attendant deaths and injuries to residents.
It was organised in Tamale by the Northern Regional chapter of Activista Ghana, a network of young people dedicated to advocating and campaigning for a just, equitable and sustainable world, as part of its Road Safety Campaign, which is supported by ActionAid Ghana, to ensure sanity and safety on the roads in the metropolis.
Participants at the meeting included representatives of National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, National Ambulance Service, transport associations, Ghana Red Cross Society, youth groups, and the media amongst others.
Mr Abdul-Latif Issahaku, Northern Regional Coordinator of Activista Ghana, speaking during the meeting, said the organisation’s Road Safety Campaign was to complement ongoing efforts by various stakeholders to ensure safety and sanity on the roads.
Statistics by the Northern Regional office of the NRSA showed that from January to September, this year, there were 60 reported cases of crashes involving motorbikes in the Tamale Metropolis resulting in 19 deaths and 62 injuries.
The statistics also showed that during the period, the metropolis also recorded 12 deaths and 58 injuries through crashes involving vehicles.
Mr Issahaku cited speeding, drug use, non-wearing of crash helmets amongst others as some of the causes of road crashes in the area saying Activista Ghana would embark on sensitisation campaigns as well as engage various stakeholders in the metropolis to play their roles to arrest the situation.
He said the organisation had so far trained 75 young people with a number of them being certified to carry out road safety education in the area, emphasising the need for fixing broken down traffic lights amongst others.
Mr Abdulai Bawa Ghamsah, Northern Regional Director of NRSA, said the Authority was undertaking a number of measures in the area such as encouraging institutions to compel their staff to wear crash helmets when riding motorbikes, training of motor mechanics and riders, collaborating with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority to inspect crash helmets and mirrors before registration amongst others to enforce road safety regulations.
Mr Ghansah urged motorists to value their lives and respect the regulations to protect themselves and others on the roads in the area.
Chief Inspector Mr Gabriel Kumah, Officer, MTTD, Tamale, deplored the attitude of some motorists in the metropolis with regard to respecting road safety regulations warning that the MTTD would not renege on its duty to strictly enforce the laws.
GNA