The Ghana Road Safety Authority (GRSA) has held a stakeholders consultation on the draft Legislative Instrument (L.I.) with a call on Ghanaians to support efforts aimed at sanitising the road sector.
The new regulations have become evident as it would provide a framework for the coordination, regulation, implementation and enforcement of road safety regulations and standards.
When passed, the L.I would enable the NRSA to enforce standards, to promote sanity and reduce crashes on the roads.
The L. I would advance realistic enforcement of provisions in the National Road Safety Act, 2019 (Act 993) which established the Authority.
It was attended by personnel from the Motor Traffic and Transport and Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, traditional authorities, transport unions, garages, representatives of the Ghana Highway Authority, representatives from the Ghana Federation for the Disabled as well as the Ghana Red Cross Society.
During a presentation, the Director of Planning and Programmes at the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), David Osarfo Adonten said the nation could not continue to look on for people to flout road safety regulations with impunity.
“We have reached a point in our history where we have to regulate the road transport sector and also that operators in the sector adhere to the established regulations,” he said.
He also said that: “Driving should be seen as a profession and we must ensure that drivers who ply our roads have the requisite professional training to drive on our roads”.
Under the new L.I, he said, every driver must belong to a union and that there would be no floating drivers.
Mr Adonten said the road sector played a crucial role in the socio-economic development of the nation and all efforts must be made to safeguard the sector.
He explained that, the engagement was to bring more ideas to enrich the new L.I before its final submission to parliament.
Mr Adonten indicated that, the safety of people, especially on public transport, needs to be guaranteed and explained that public transport must not be allowed to operate in a disorganised way.
He said, drivers would not be permitted to load at the road side but only within bus terminals and lorry parks.
The planning and programmes director further pointed out that the NRSA would work hard to ensure adherence to standards within the sector as stipulated in the new L.I
He noted that some of the road accidents in the country could be attributed to expired tyres which he said had the potential to cause accidents on the road.
Additionally, Mr Adonten said, vulcanisers would be trained to make them efficient and effective in their work and also certified across the country.
A Director of the Central Regional Coordinating Council, Kingsley Agyei Boahen, who was the chairman for the meeting, urged the all stakeholders to support the NRSA to come out with a comprehensive L.I. that would help streamline activities within the sector.
From David O. Yarboi-Tetteh, Cape Coast
