Gov’t approves GHc1bn for major reforms to reduce road accidents

• Posted on March 25, 2019
• by Ellsamwise King
• Comment

Cabinet has approved GHc 1 billion for the implementation of major road safety reforms to reduce accidents in the country.

The amount will be used to put up road safety signs, re-paint defaced road markings and also fix the many faulty traffic lights on our roads.

An inter-ministerial Committee set up President Akufo-Addo in 2018 to investigate the cause of road carnage made these recommendations.

GHc 6.5 million has also been allocated to the National Road Safety Commission (NSRC) for public sensitization and training.

President Nana Akufo-Addo in 2018, set up the committee made up of the Minister for the Interior; the Minister of Roads and Highways and the Minister of Transport following the deadly crash that killed Ghanaian artiste, Priscilla Opoku-Kwarteng popularly known as Ebony Reigns.

A letter dated April 16, 2018, indicated that the President gave the executive approval for the proposals to be rolled out.

Here are the recommendations of the inter-ministerial committee:

1) Transformation of the National Road Safety Commission (NSRC) to an Authority and budgetary support of ¢6.50 Million for the Commission to scale up public education/sensitization and training,

2) Request for approval of a proposal by the Ghana Police Service to enable the MTTD to:

a) Deploy Traffic Cameras Systems to detect and apprehend speed, red-light and related traffic offences, and

b) Remove disabled vehicles from the road

3) Request for an amount of ¢1,05 billion for the road agencies, Ghana Highway Authority, Department of Urban Roads and Department of Feeder Roads to clear the backlog of road signs, road-line markings, traffic signal lights and crash barriers on the national road network,” she said.

The President granted Executive Approval for the proposals to be implemented, a letter dated April 16, 2018.

Haul Roads, Transport and Interior Ministers before Parliament over road accidents – Minority

Earlier, the minority in Parliament wanted the Ministers of Road and Highways, Transport and Interior summoned to answer questions because they had failed to make their findings public.

Kwame Governs Agbodza, Minority’s Spokesperson on Transport who is worried about the continuous loss of lives on the country’ s roads is of the view that it will only take a parliamentary intervention to compel the committee to implement its recommendations.

“What is the content of the letter presented to the President which he approved and have recommended for implementation? We don’t know.  But if they brief us on this, we can take extra action and even if we need to change or amend the law, we will do that to save lives.”

‘Fastrack our upgrade to Authority status to curb road accidents’ – Road Safety Commission

The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) is asking the government to speed up processes to give it an Authority status.

The Commission says although giant steps have been taken towards the move, the government should not rest on its oars to give it more power to enforce road traffic regulations.

Kwame Kodua Atuahene, the Head of Communications of the NRSC bemoaned the Commission’s current lack of the power to enforce road safety regulations insisting that the government should elevate the Commission to deal with the non-compliance of road safety standards.

“Three months ago Cabinet gave the approval for the Commission to be transformed into an Authority. The law is already at the Attorney General Department. I imagine that in the coming weeks it is presented to Parliament for the other processes to take place. It is to say that, government must hasten this process. They should have the will to assist in implementation of some of these interventions.”