1,119 persons perish within six months
About 1,119 people perished in 6,639 road crashes that occurred across the country in the first half of the year.
Ms Dzifa Aku Attivor, Minister of Transport, said the crashes left 6,463 others injured and goods running into millions of cedis lost.
She put the total number of vehicles involved in these reported accidents at 10,572.
Inaugurating a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) District Office at Sefwi-Wiawso, she said driver error was largely to blame for the carnage as many of them refused to obey road traffic regulations.
As a measure to help make the roads safe, the DVLA was extending its services closer to the motoring public to enable them to have access to information and other services.
Ms Attivor expressed government’s determination to expand the frontiers of safety by opening more DVLA offices, increase police visibility on the roads and to discipline recalcitrant motorists. Road safety education would also be sustained.
She urged drivers to be more careful and do away with recklessness.
Mr Rudolph P.K. Beckley, Chief Executive of DVLA, said the new office would undertake vehicle inspection for road worthiness, accident report and issuance of learner license and driver license for classes “A” “B” and “E”, as well as renewal of license for all classes.
Additionally, it would upgrade driver license up to classes “C” and “E”, offer proficiency test up to class “C” and replace driver license for all classes except “D” and “F”.
Communities including Asanwinso, Wiawso, Asafo, Dwinase, Akontombra, Sehwi Buako, Nsawora, Punikrom, Datano and Aboduam, together with others in four nearby districts, would benefit from the services of the district office.
Mr L.A Santanah, Sefwi-Wiaso Municipal Chief Executive, welcomed the inauguration as a big relief to the people – effectively ending the situation where they had to travel long distances to access the services of DVLA.
He, however, appealed to the Authority to consider adding vehicle registration to the range of activities to be performed by the new office.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Joseph Akpaloo, Municipal Commander of the Motor Transport and Traffic Unit (MTTU), said there would now be an improvement in traffic management in the area.
Source: GNA