Parliament summons Transport Minister over accidents

Parliament has summoned Transport Minister Kweku Ofori Asiamah to brief the House on measures being taken by the government to reduce road accidents and fatalities associated with such accidents.

Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu, who presided over the business of the house on Tuesday, 6 November 2018, said the minister was to appear in two weeks’ time.

The summons was issued after several legislators made comments about the increasing rate of accidents in various parts of the country, especially on the Madina-Adentan highway where over 190 deaths have been recorded since the beginning of 2018.

In the past week, six people traveling on a white Mercedes-Benz Sprinter bus loaded with dozens of passengers and crew, including young children, died from a ghastly crash on the Winneba – Accra road at Gomoa Mpota in the Central Regional.

Some three people also died and several others got injured in an accident involving five cars at Ofankor on the Accra – Nsawam road on Monday, 5 November.

The accident occurred at 4.30 am when a speeding tipper truck crashed into four other vehicles including an STC bus and a school bus.

Meanwhile, students of the West Africa Senior High School (WASS) in Adentan, Accra, have complained that the absence of a footbridge on the Adentan-Aburi road is a death threat to them and other pedestrians.

Some of the students who spoke to Ghana Yensom on Accra 100.5FM hosted by Kwabena Prah Jnr. (The Don) narrated how road accidents have become rampant on that stretch due to the lack of a footbridge.

Additionally, over the weekend, Deputy Minister of Communication George Andah and a few people traveling with him had an accident in his Awutu Senyah West constituency.