'Over 500 lives lost in accidents within 3 months

Page 15, June 5, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah & Daniel Nkrumah

AVAILABLE statististics indicate that more than 500 lives were lost through road accidents while 2,000 injuries were also recorded, the Minister of Transport, Mr Mike Hammah has revealed.
He stated that the cost of road traffic crashes to the economy, made up of media bills, property damage, human lives, lost output and administrative cost was estimated at 1.6 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Mr Hammah made these disclosures when he appeared before Parliament to answer a quastion posed by the Member of Parliament for Agona East, Mr John Agyabeng.
The MP had asked the minister what measures were being taken to curb the current spate of road accidents, which had claimed many lives and properties.
The minister stated that his ministry and the national road safety agencies had put together a comprehensive strategy dubbed “The Road Safety Strategy II (2006-2010) and Action Plan”, as the blue print for road safety management in the country.
He said in the immediate term, the ministry had directed that all long distance commercial drivers should carry a vehicle log book to help with the adherence to the Road Traffic Regulation, 1974(L.I 953) which made it mandatory for drivers to rest.
He said the ministry would continue to be committed to public safety concerns by supporting the relevant agencies, especially the National Road Saftey Commission and the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Authority (DVLA) to deliver on their mandates.
The Minister noted that the current status of the NRSC did not allow it to enforce its recommendations and it had therefore become necessary to review the NRSC Act 567 to reflect emergint global trends in road safety management.
He explained, if the reveiw was completed, the commission would be changed to an authority to enable it demand compliance of the road safety laws and regulations by stakeholders.
Mr Hammah said the amended act would also seek to expand the sources of funding for the agency explaning that while reliance on support from development partners was drying up, there was the need for find other innovative measures and deepen the financial resources for road safety activities.
He stated that a committee was currenlty working on the draft regulations that would soon be put before Parliament for enactment.
Meanwhile, the Speaker, Mrs Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo today referred a publication in this week’s edition of an Accra weekly, the Lens to the Privileges Committee of Parliament for consideration and report.
The frontpage report on the coverage of the visit of the members of the Communications Committee of the House to offices of the mobile phone service operators.
The Minority Chief Whip, Mr Frederick Opare-Ansah, who raise the issue said it was unfortunate that the publication baselessly accused members of the committee for demanding “envelopes” from the service providers during their visits.
The publication described the MPs as “den of thieves”, a description, which infuriated all the MPs who contributed to the matter raised by their colleagues.
Although, the Majority Leader, Mr Alban Bagbin impressed on his colleauges to allow the leadership of the House to discuss the matter with the leadership of the Parliamentary Press Corps, the MPs from both sides of the House insisted that the matter be referred to the Privileges Committee.
The MP for Sekondi, Papa Owusu-Ankomah Mr Inusah Fuseini (Tamale Central) were of the opinion that it was important for the committee to deal with the matter to come out with the truth or otherwise of the allegation so as to safe the reputation of MPs.