Road accidents kill 67 people in Brong Ahafo in 2017
Sixty-seven (67) people have died through 110 road accidents recorded in the Brong-Ahafo Region from January to March 2017.
Superintendent Oppong Asirifi, the Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), who disclosed this, said 174 people had also been injured while 33 pedestrian were involved.
He was speaking at the 2017 first Brong-Ahafo Regional Committee meeting of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) in Sunyani on Wednesday.
Superintendent Asirifi said motor cycle crashes were also recording alarming figures, noting that 51 motorbikes had been involved in accidents this year.
Mr Samuel Obeng Asiamah, the Acting Brong-Ahafo Regional Manager of the NRSC, said the alarming rate of road crashes in the Region needed absolute commitment from all road sector agencies and institutions.
He said in 2016, 286 persons died and 945 injured through 670 road crashes, involving 924 vehicles in the Region.
Mr Asiamah who is the Ashanti Regional Manager of the Commission, said the Commission and its major players would undertake aggressive advocacy for the use of crash helmets by motor riders.
He observed that motor crashes were rife in Wenchi, Berekum and Kintampo Municipalities and warned that the Commission would deal harshly with riders without helmet.
Mr Asiamah explained that the Committee had setup a taskforce and it intended to undertake night enforcement at drinking bars to check on reckless and drunk drivers during the Easter festivities.
The taskforce would be positioned at places such as Tyco and Dreamers, popular night drinking joints in the Sunyani Municipality.
Mr Asiamah also urged the transport unions to get emergency numbers printed and pasted on the vehicles to help passengers to call to report reckless drivers.
Meanwhile, some road sector institutions in the Region had re- affirmed their commitment to join and intensify road safety advocacy campaign, to bring road accidents in the Region to the barest minimum.
They include, the Department of Urban Roads, Motor Traffic and Transport Department, transport unions, National Ambulance Service, Ghana National Fire Service, Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority and the National Road Safety Commission.
Almost all the institutional heads who attended the regional committee meeting emphasised the need for a deepened and effective collaboration among stakeholders in the road sector in controlling road accidents.
Divisional Officer Grade One (DO1) Gyasi Boateng of the Ghana National Fire Service stressed the need for the Commission and its stakeholders to ensure that all commercial vehicles were registered under a transport union.
Source: GNA