<<Print>>

A stakeholder meeting on the causes of road accidents in the Upper East Region, had identified undue interference by politicians and opinion leaders in the handling of motor and traffic offences as major cause of the problem. The meeting which was organised in Bolgatanga on Wednesday by the National Road Safety Commission, complained expressed dissatisfaction about the pressure people in authority put on the security agencies to release motor and traffic offender. Participants also expressed concern about people who drive whilst receiving or making calls on their cell phones and asked the security personnel to arrest and prosecute such people. They deplored the wrongful citing of bill boards, which sometimes obstruct the visibility of drivers and motorists leading to road accidents. The commission had also mounted a joint operation with the Police, Customs Excise and Preventive Service, Municipal and District Assemblies, Insurance Companies, Transport Unions, Red Cross and the Media to enforce road and traffic rules in the region. It would also ensure that motor riders wear crash helmets and possess relevant documents including license, insurance policies and roadworthy certificates. Mr. Alexander Ayata, Regional Manager of the Commission, said as part of the measures to minimise road accidents, the stakeholders would embark on sensitization programmes mainly through the media whilst the security agencies would mount special exercises to arrest road offenders. Mr. Ayata indicated that for the past six months, about 36 deaths had been reported in the region with the majority of the victims being motor and bicycle riders. He said in future motor and traffic offenders would be educated on the need to obey rules and regulations on the roads.