By Dennis Peprah, GNA
Sunyani, March 27, GNA – The Bono Regional Secretariat of the National Road Safety Authority has cautioned commercial drivers against drunk-driving and speeding, as the Easter festivities set in.
According to Miss Abigail Atinpoka, the Bono Regional Head of the NRSA, the authority had intensified spontaneous alcohol checks at bus terminals and accident-prone highways in the region and warned that the culprit would be prosecuted.
The road enforcement exercises are being conducted on the Berekum-Sunyani, Sunyani-Techiman, Sunyani-Goaso and Sunyani-Abesim stretches.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, Ms Atinpoka said the authority had procured breathalyzer machines (alcohol tester or detector machines) and had deployed personnel to check commercial drivers before journeying.
Additionally, she said the authority in collaboration with key partners including the Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) had begun a road enforcement on speeding and removal of unprescribed lamps on vehicles.
Ms Atinpoka said the authority in the region was determined to ensure that crashes and the attendant needless fatalities were brought under the barest minimum, worrying that despite intensified road safety campaign, road crashes seemed increasing in the region.
So, the authority soon commenced the registration of fleets of buses of transport operators, and civil society organisations, as well as training of commercial drivers, she stated.
As an election year, Ms Atinpoka called on commercial drivers in particular, to endeavour to adhere to road traffic signs and regulations, avoid wrongful overtaking and overloading as well as speeding to save lives and properties.
She further entreated everybody, travelers, and passengers and all road users to check drivers against negligence and called on transport unions to ensure that vehicle owners do periodic maintenance of their vehicles.
Ms Atinpoka said the devastating and economic impact of road crashes remained enormous, hence the need for shared and collective responsibility to bring sanity and control crashes on the highways.
GNA