Hon Samuel Pyne, Mayor of Kumasi has admonished drivers especially commercial vehicle drivers to get some good rest from the journeys they undertake before going on subsequent ones as the year ends.
This, he noted would reduce the incidences of vehicular accidents that occur due to reckless driving and others.
Addressing a stakeholder sensitization programme by Driver Unions and some MMDAS in Ashanti at Dunkirk on Monday morning, Hon Pyne said rather than seeking to go on more journeys when they are tired drivers should think of their lives and that of many people who could die due to their fatigued situations.
Narrating an incident that happened to him and others about 20 years ago, the Mayor said the Neoplan Bus driver that was bringing passengers including him from Accra to Kumasi was caught sleeping and nearly crashed them into the scarps in the Eastern Region.
“But for God and our insistence that the driver rests about 45 minutes before we travel again when we found out that he was tired some of us would not be alive today to contribute our quota to the building of this country”, the Mayor noted.
STATISTICS:
Quoting statistics to back the importance of adhering to road safety measures on the road, Madam Simbiat Wiredu, Ashanti Regional Director of the National Road Safety Authority said Ashanti Region from January to October this year had recorded 2, 886 road crashes.
She said in these accidents, 21, 996 vehicles have been involved.
Madam Simbiat disclosed that 377 persons have since died our of these road accidents.
3,552 people, the Director noted have recorded injuries out of these cases.
“We plead with drivers especially commercial drivers to shun wrongful overtaking and overspeeding knowing that any bad attitude they display on the road put the lives of passengers as well as themselves at the risk of accidents”, Madam Simbiat stated.
CHAIRPERSON:
The Chief of Asem, Nana Ampofo Kyei Baffuor who chaired the event said the show of interest by stakeholders in the Ashanti Region was commendable.
He noted that when safety is on the road and drivers do their part just as government was constructing good roads every home would be peaceful.
The Chief recounted the dangerous driving attitudes that are constantly demonstrated by some commercial drivers as well as the tricycle users.
He therefore called on the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police to intensify checks and patrols on the roads to ensure they are safe.
STORY BY MICHAEL OFOSU-AFRIYIE, KUMASI.