According to the President of the Ghana Insurers Association, Aretha Duku, the influx of fake driving license and road worthy certificates in the country is a worrying concern to its association.

In an interview with Citi News at the 2017 Mid-Year Performance Review Conference of the National Road Safety Commission in Koforidua, she said “the member companies have reported to the association about the huge number of fake member company stickers being used by motorists on our roads and there’s quite a number of companies that have floating stickers on cars in the country so we need to address this issue.”

“At the same time we have come across a number of fake driving licence, where the licence that has been provided upon a claim where we ask for the requisite driving licence it comes to our attention that it turns out to be fake and not genuine but this are issues that we need to brainstorm with all stakeholders so as to find the way forward.”

The Executive Director of National Road Safety Commission, May Obiri-Yeboah, also in an interview with Citi News indicated that over speeding by drivers on our roads has been a major challenge for the commission.

“If you check last year surveillance report and you compare to this year you will realized that there has been an increase in motor accident and mostly is about overspending by the drivers, if people do not speed we will not get pedestrians and other road users dying, pedestrians death has become a big challenge for the commission as over 40 percent who die are as a result of pedestrian death.”

She advised all road users to cultivate road safety culture in order to reduce the high rates of vehicular accidents.

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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Commission called for nominations and entries for prospective awardees from Transport Operators, Driver Unions, and the media, which were expected to be submitted between today, August 15, 2017 to September 30, 2017.

It further appealed to corporate Ghana to support the NRSC in cash and in kind to make the year’s event a success.

Addressing the media launch in Accra, Mrs May Obiri-Yeboah, the Executive Director of the National Road Safety Commission, said the event which was instituted in 2010, under the Ministry of Transport, was to promote better road safety practices among Commercial Transport Operator and Unions in both passenger and haulage services, and subsequently in 2011, acknowledged the media for its contribution.

[contextly_sidebar id=”jNiPF5avnT82Qvdc2aeG4IClGGeDU7re”]She said “compliance with safety standards has been observed as low particularly with passenger and freight operators and with the award, we expect to develop a new sub-culture that prioritises the safety of the road user”.

Mrs Obiri-Yeboah said this year’s edition, had some variations, as there would be four competitive transport-related categories and a similar number for the media, and would only be held at the national level, compared to previously where it was held on Regional basis.

She mentioned the categories as the: Best Road Safety-Oriented Commercial Road Transport Operator of the Year; Best Road Safety-Oriented Commercial Road Transport Driver of the Year; Best Road Safety-Oriented Solid Haulage Transport Operator of the Year and; Best Road Safety-Oriented Liquid Haulage Transport Operator of the Year.

She explained that the selection for these four categories would be based on the operational, driver and vehicle standards of each of the nominees.

The event would also acknowledge the contribution of journalists whose publications and works had impacted road safety improvement in Ghana in the year under review, with the award categories being for the: Best Road Safety Media Reporters of the Year respectively for the Print, Radio, Television, and in Photography.

“We wish to invite journalists to compete for the Print, Radio, Television and Photography categories with road safety stories published in local or international media between August 15th, 2016 and August 30th,2017”, she said.

The NRSC Boss said apart from the competitive categories, the Search Committee of the Commission, had been tasked to review the exploits of some individuals and Corporate citizens for some Meritorious Honour awards, to serve as an incentive to boost their interest to support road safety initiatives.

The Committee, she said, would also identify a Goodwill Road Safety Ambassador from among Showbiz, Sports and Political personalities, who would help support the course through advocacy, and would be outdoored during the Awards event.

Mrs Obiri-Yeboah said road traffic crashes were responsible for an average of 2,000 deaths each year, a situation which was far more than the annual deaths recorded through crimes, with nearly 33 percent of them being passenger and cargo vehicle related, and almost 60 percent of the victims being in the productive bracket of 18 to 55 years.

She said the situation impacted negatively on the national economy, affected tourism, the national image, stretches health infrastructure, health bill and estimated to cost about 1.6 per cent of Ghana’s annual Gross Domestic Product.

She said the NRSC was passionate about the attainment of the national target of reducing casualty levels by 50 per cent by the year 2020, saying the risk to deaths and injuries in the road traffic environment was real, and required the collective concerted efforts of all stakeholders to minimise the unsafe factors.

She said with the awards, the NRSC expected all transport operators to mainstream safety policies and standards in their operations, for a reward or recognition.

Mr Gabriel Adu Sarpong, the Planning Officer and Coordinator of the 2017 National Road Safety Awards, said the national award Committee would vet the nominations from the various transport operators in the regions, follow up to observe their operations over a period amidst other tests to come out with a clear winner.

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Source: GNA

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Speaking on Eyewitness News, the NRSC’s Communications Manager, Kwame Atuahene, however, said smaller companies still have a part to play in the programme, which will be spearheaded by Road Safety Management Services.

[contextly_sidebar id=”d5oSKOsFQrAqPYWBTSaaagU9fNdbgoQF”]The smaller companies, which some fear will be run out business, did not have enough capacity to be a major player in the contract, according to the commission.

Mr. Atuahene noted on that of the companies assessed, if you took out Road Safety Management Limited, the other towing companies might not have more than 50 trucks between them.

On the other hand, the Road Safety Management Limited is reported to have already acquired some 118 trucks ahead of the implementation of the programme.

“An assessment was made of all the existing companies that were present and we realized that there were some companies that were in towing services but in terms of capacity, it was just one that had better capacity than the others.”

Thus the contract with Road Safety Management Limited is “out of the convenience of dealing with one company to act more like a regulator to deal with the several other entities… even if the contract will be signed with one company, the job will not be done by just one company,” he assured.

“It would have created a lot of inconveniences trying to sign contracts with these pockets of companies… one company signed but within the contract, several companies will provide the service.”

The towing programme is to ensure that all vehicles that breakdown on highways are cleared off the roads.

For this reason, drivers are required to pay a road safety fee ranging between GHc 10 and GHc 200, in addition to road worthy certification fees.

Commercial vehicles and taxis will pay GHc40, mini buses will pay GHc80, while heavy duty trucks will pay between GHc80 and GHc200 annually, depending on their tonnage. Non-commercial vehicles are expected to pay GHc20.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post We chose Road Safety Management for convenience – NRSC appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

[contextly_sidebar id=”ergGWDoAcu1YbtPdZ7Loe40IcJzSlxHE”]Speaking on Citi FM’s News Analysis and Current Affairs program, The Big Issue, Mr Casely Hayford suggested that the program is an unnecessary arrangement implemented on an individualistic basis to benefit only persons whose vehicles break down along the road.

“This is a totally unnecessary arrangement. I am not prepared to be forking out money so that someone who is careless enough to leave their truck by the roadside makes me pay for it to be towed. I pay my insurance as an individual person and if I have to make a claim on my insurance company, I go and make my claim,” he said.

Last month, National Road Safety Commission announced that effective July 1, 2017, vehicle owners and motorcyclists will be made to pay a compulsory annual fee, tied to the acquisition of road worthy certificate, to cater for towing services of disabled vehicles.

Following the announcement, many have criticized the decision, describing it is as unfair.

Others have suggested that the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) rather adopts ‘pay-as-you go’ service to allow disabled vehicles owners pay for the towing service.

Speaking on Citi FM’s News Analysis Programme, The Big Issue, Casley Hayford sided with those kicking against the move, saying  his anti-corruption group, Occupy Ghana will take up the matter to “stop it,” if it is not scrapped.

“If it doesn’t get stopped, this is an Occupy Ghana fight. We will stop it. This is enabling a particular individual to benefit from us,” he told host of the show, Umaru Sanda Amadu

‘Halt mandatory towing fee program’

The Deputy Minority  Leader, James Avedzi Klutse, had also backed calls for the implementation of a mandatory vehicle towing fee to be halted.

He had argued that since majority of Ghanaians who are targets of the program are kicking against it, it should be withdrawn.

“[The move should be suspended, since] the genuine and good citizens will be paying for recalcitrant citizens who do not want to obey the law…If it gets to the implementation and everybody is against it then it should be withdrawn,” he said.

But Roland Walker, the Communications and Marketing Manager for Road Safety Management Services Limited (RSMSL), one of the five (5) companies awarded the contract to execute the program has defended the move, arguing that mandatory fees will protect road users from road accidents.

Under the program, drivers will be required to pay a road safety fee, ranging between GH¢ 10 and GH¢ 200, in addition to their road worthy certification fees.

Commercial vehicles and taxes will pay GH¢40, mini buses will pay GH¢80, while heavy duty trucks will pay between GH¢80 and GH¢200 annually, depending on their tonnage.

Non-commercial vehicles are expected to pay GH¢20.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The exercise is in connection with the campaign unveiled by the NRSC on speed on Monday, May 8, 2017, dubbed “Save Lives: #Slow Down,” to observe the Commemoration of the West Africa Road Safety (WARSO) Day and UN Global Road Safety Week.

The WARSO Day is a day set aside on May 8 every year to be observed by member countries to celebrate the Anniversary and Inauguration of the association.

Made up of 15 countries and 4 non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), the West Africa Road Safety Organization was inaugurated on 8th May, 2008, under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), by the then President of the ECOWAS Commission, His Excellency Dr. Muhammed Ibn Chambers.

Celebrating its 9th Anniversary, WARSO has existed to foster partnership and collaboration at the sub-regional level to advance road safety agenda and enhance knowledge sharing and harmonization of some National plans of action within the sub region.

Also, WARSO is to promote and reinforce road safety activities and practices in West Africa through effective management of road safety and traffic matters with the view of drastically reducing road traffic crashes.

Ghana as part of the United Nations (UN) and an implementing country of the UN Decade of Action, a document of which it is a signatory that seeks to reduce road traffic crashes to 50% by the year 2020 which began in 2011 also joined member countries to observe the UN Global Road Safety Week.

In its 4th Anniversary, the week, therefore, comes off from the 8th to 14th May, by way member countries are being encouraged to remain committed and focused on the target set in the Decade of Action document.

WARSO has adopted the UN Decade of Action as an implementing working document in all it member states. It was of this reason that in this year, both WARSO and UN chose the same theme on speeding.

The National Road Safety Commission as the lead Road Safety Agency in Ghana, therefore led the celebrations in the country by unveiling a campaign on the slogan: “Save Lives: #Slow Down”.

The NRSC and the MTTD thus embarked on the exercise to increase the understanding of the dangers of speed and generate action measures to address speed in order to save lives on our roads.

The four sets of teams deployed to cover the designated areas were equipped with speed radar guns to check the speed of motorists and passengers to ensure enforce-ability of the law. NRSC advocates were on the other hand educating drivers, passengers and pedestrians on good road practices.

The Director in charge of Planning and Programming at the NRSC, Ing. David Osafo Adonteng, in an interview said Ghana bought into the idea after which the UN asked all member countries to consider the issue of speeding to create the awareness.

He added that, 60% of fatal crashes in the country are as a result of speeding, and that through the exercise, the team has observed the level of speeding on the highways, adding that majority of drivers are really speeding.

Ing. Adonteng was happy with the level of the exercise since the teams’ presence made the difference.

He said “Of course they recognize that we are here and we have mounted these speed checks at four strategic locations on the stretch. The signal is already running round among the transport operators so they are minimizing” he added.

DSP Adu Boahen, Staff Officer of the MTTD who led the Police, said the Kasoa-Winneba stretch was identified because most accidents that have happened in the country was on that stretch and speeding was a contributing factor.

The same exercise took place in other regions that traffic road crashes are prevalent.

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Source: NRSC

The post Road Safety Commission embarks on outreach to curb overspeeding appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to DSP Charles Obiri, the Commander of the Winneba Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate, the accident involved a Sprinter bus with registration number, GE 801-16.

“Yesterday, a Sprinter Bus with the registration number GE 801-16, which had 22 passengers on board, was moving from Obuasi to Accra. When it got to Gomoa Amanfi, between Apam Junction and Winneba Junction, one of the rear tyres burst and it somersaulted,” he said.

“When we arrived, we found that one person had died on the spot; we took the others to the hospital. Four others also passed on later. Those who survived are receiving treatment at the Trauma Hospital at the Winneba Hospital.”

44 die of road accidents in election period

According to the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), a total of 44 people died during Ghana’s electioneering period between December 7 and 10, 2016.

During that period, 100 accident cases were reported with about 157 vehicles involved.

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By: Jeffrey Owuraku Sarpong/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Five dead in accident on Accra-Winneba road appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.