Bloomberg Philanthropies, a US non-governmental organization, is collaborating with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to provide technical assistance in safer streets design and mobility, enforcement and education to ensure safer roads in the capital.
The partnership is to address the challenge of road carnages through promoting the use of seatbelts and child restraints, helmet wearing by motorcycle riders and their passengers, reducing drivers’ speed and incidence of drink-driving.
Addressing the press in Accra, Mr Mohammed Adjei Sowah, Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive of Accra, said enforcement of traffic rules and regulations remains one of the greatest challenges to achieving sanity on the roads.
He said the Assembly would continue with the collaboration with stakeholders to upgrade the skills and knowledge base of the Metropolitan Guards to review the regulations guiding their operations to enforce laws in the city.
Mr. Sowah added that some of the city’s roads over the years had become dangerous for road users as population grow, adding that a number of re-engineering works to widen or reduce kerb sizes and general infrastructural works was being undertaken by the Assembly.
He said road safety was a critical global, national and city priority, which needed rigorous multi-sectoral approach to reduce the serious toll of deaths and injuries recorded each year.
Mr. Sowah indicated that between 2011 and 2015, there were 12,877 road traffic crashes which occurred in the city, of which 24 per cent were fatal resulting in 891 deaths and 2,877 seriously injured victims.
He expressed worry about reckless behaviour on the part of motorcycle drivers as a result of their refusal to use helmets and not obeying traffic signals which were a high-risk factor of road crashes.
He said the Assembly was putting measures in place to increase enforcement and amendment of existing laws.
“It was estimated that government will lose 1.6 per cent of Gross Domestic Product this year as a result of road crashes and urged all authorities for decisive measures to address the menace of road crashes.”
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By: Philip Nii Lartey/citifmonline.com/Ghana