ROAD SAFETY IS EVERYBODYS RESPONSIBILITY

DECEMBER 22, 2011

Kumasi — Mr. Noble Appiah, National Co- ordinator of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), has entreated the general public to help improve road safety, through commitment and hard work.

Speaking at a service workshop under the theme: "Road safety, my responsibility", by the National Road Safety Commission, in collaboration with the Ministry Local Government and Rural development, on guidelines for mainstreaming road safety into programmes of metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs), Mr. Appiah entreated everybody to be apostles of road safety.

He urged chief executives, the National Road Safety Commission, and institutions to get to work by taking a keen interest and control over the situation, and ensure that rules and regulations are enforced, irrespective of politicization, where people do things under the cover of a political party, which, he said, always undermined the situation.

According to him, it was all about an individual's responsibilities of attitudinal change, and the creativity of the Assemblies in their budget allocations to include road safety.

Mr. Appiah was worried over the weak enforcement of standards for the construction and use of vehicles, and gave the assurance that the National Road Safety Strategy III sets out long term safety objectives, and acknowledges national, regional and district plans, and also enforce the relationship and collaboration between NRSC, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Ghana Highways Authority (GHA), Department of Roads, and the MTTU.

The National Co-ordinator further observed that education, publicity and advocacy were very crucial, for which stakeholders regularly meet with the captains of industries.

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In a related development, OTEC FM, a Kumasi-based private radio station, in collaboration with the NRSC, DVLA, MTTU, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (Accident Unit), Ghana National Fire Service, Urban Passengers Transport, and Ghana Red Cross Society, had also organised a road safety campaign at the Neoplan Station at the Asafo Market, and interacted with stakeholders and the general public to join hands to fight the increasing accidents on our roads.

Mr. Oware Boateng, Ashanti Regional Coordinator of the NRSC, at the programme, expressed worry over the increase in road accidents in the country, and attributed it to over-speeding, over-loading, and fatigue on the part of some drivers, as some of them drive over four hours without rest.

Mr. G.D. Hlordzi, Ashanti Regional MTTU Commander, appealed to drivers to be abreast with the rules and regulations guiding their chosen profession, in their own interest.

source:all africa
http://allafrica.com/stories/201112231035.html