Parliament expresses concern about road accidents

Members of Parliament (MPs) have called for the enforcement of road traffic regulations to drastically reduce the spate of motor traffic accidents and the consequent deaths and injuries in the country.

They again charged the Ghana National Roads Safety Commission (GRSC) to intensify its education on road traffic regulations and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to enhance its learner testing regime to ensure that only qualified drivers were given licences.

Statement

The MPs made the call in response to a statement made by the MP for Afigya Sekyere East, Ms Mavis Nkansah Boadu, on the need to enforce road traffic and motor regulations.

She expressed concern about the littering of roads, broken-down vehicles left on the shoulders of roads, wrongful parking, refusal of pedestrians to use footbridges and lawlessness of some motorcycle riders.

Ms Boadu said she was particularly concerned about the indiscipline and lawlessness of motor riders in commercial work referred to as 'Okada', who continued to flout the Road Traffic Act.

"The use of motorcycles for commercial purposes is dangerous. The operations of these Okada riders are adversely affecting the nation in diverse ways; no tax obligations, the use of illegal routes and other anti-social behaviours," she said.

Ms Boadu proposed that the laws prohibiting Okada riders from operating be reviewed "to ensure we generate the needed benefits from their operations."

Other contributions

The Minority Leader, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, said discipline on the roads was a shared responsibility among motorists, commuters and the police.

He asked the police to focus on security of drivers and shun the inclination to make money on the roads.

Mr Iddrisu called for the improvement of road infrastructure and roadworthiness of vehicles.

He called for the regularisation of the operations of Okada riders to streamline their operations.

Road traffic accidents

The Deputy Majority Leader, Ms Sarah Adwoa Safo, said the problem of road accidents was not about the legislation, but rather the lax in the enforcement of laws.

For instance, she said many drivers engaged in reckless driving while pedestrians refused to use footbridges on highways but the laws did not catch up with them.

The First Deputy Speaker, Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, who is a former Chief Executive Officer of the DVLA, said the country's laws did not permit the use of motorbikes for commercial activities.

He suggested that motor riders be given licences as commercial operators as pertained in other countries.

The MP for Ledzokuku, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, asked for measures to be taken to end the carnage on our roads.