Ghana Loses $30 Billion

…Through Road Accidents- Veep

The Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama has cautioned the law enforcement agencies to be up and doing by enforcing the bylaws governing the road sector to reduce carnage on the roads to the minimum, if not completely abolished.

According to him, Road accidents cost the country 1.6% of GDP every year. Taking the size of GDP as at 2009 into consideration, the value amounts to about $500 million.

“Today, Ghana’s GDP is 60% higher. So multiply $500 million by 60%, and you will get the true amount of what the country loses each year.” He explained. He said Ghana has legislation to be able to stop the carnage on Ghana’s roads but the main problem is enforcement. “We know that it is over speeding that kills, we know that it is defective vehicles that kill, we know it is vehicles parked at unauthorized places that kill, we know it is people driving under the influence of alcohol that kill, but enforcement of the bylaws has been the problem” He disclosed.

He has however urged agencies charged with the responsibility of ensuring safety on the roads to discharge their duties in a manner that would serve the interest of the country instead of taking scanty money from drivers and allow them to do the wrong things that always send people to their early graves. The Vice President disclosed this when he officially cut the tape for the take off of the operations of the Road Safety Management Services Limited in Accra last week.

He called on all Ghanaians to lend support in the fight against carnage on the country’s roads, since it curbs pace of development. The situation he noted was unacceptable, and urged the Police, the Ghana Road Safety Commission, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Road Safety Management Services Limited, and other stakeholders in the road sector to ensure that traffic regulations are strictly adhered to by drivers and other road users throughout the Country. The Vice President John Dramani Mahama recalled a situation where the recently commissioned George Walker Bush Motorway had killed ten people to buttress his argument in the construction of good roads in the country. According to him, when the road was in its previous state, where pot holes were the order of the day, no death was recorded but as soon as it was a given a new phase, over speeding had become the order of the day, which result in the killing of innocent people by vehicles plying that stretch of road. He said it looks as if drivers tend to be careful when driving on a bad road. According to him, good roads are not certificate for over speeding and killing innocent people.

“Why should a development that is positive, and is going to bring joy and celebration in the country turn out to bring sorrow and grief to the people?” He asked.

On his part, the General Manager of Road Safety Management Services Limited, Air Commodore Basin Dery (Rtd) said his outfit was created from the concerns raised by the Vice President, and urged Ghanaians to remain composed since they were in to deliver good services that would arrest the situation.

He said the RSMSL was poised to provide road safety management services that has never be seen in the country and West Africa before, since they had the expertise and tools to change the industry landscape to provide confidence, security, and safety to the travelling public.

Their operational concept he said involves establishing 45 well secured depots across the country, that would be equipped with various categories of tow trucks, ambulance to convey accident victims to hospitals, police motorbikes for rapid response to accident scenes, large parking area, workshops or garages for repair and maintenance of vehicles, filling station with car wash and vulcanizing services, as well as rest stop with restaurants for refreshment. The project, The Citizen has gathered will generate over 4000 employment for the unemployed youth of the Country.

Source: The Citizen Newspaper (thecitizen.news@yahoo.com) +233 27 731 4655