A Road Safety NGO, Amend Ghana in collaboration with Total Energy Foundation has organised a four-week intensive motorcycle training for 84 dispatch and courier riders in Accra.
The riders were selected from various public and private organisations in the country and were provided with practical training aimed at improving skills which riders are known to lack as well as addressing common behavioral mistakes while on the road.
The drivers were taken through various exercises including the proper use of junctions and roundabouts, safe overtaking, and how to stop quickly in an emergency.
At an official closing ceremony held at Labone in Accra, Engineer Juliet Adu, Country Director of Amend Ghana said road crash among riders in Africa has increased recently and Ghana is not exceptional.
She said statistics available have indicated that motorcycles-related fatalities in Ghana have increased significantly over the last decade.
” In Accra for instance, 28% of road crash fatalities in 2020 were motorcycle rider while vehicle occupants accounted for 15%,” Ing. Adu said.
She said driver behavior has been identified to contribute immensely to road crashes as research has shown that training is critical for safe motorcycle riding.
Adding that it is therefore their hope that the riders who have been trained would be good ambassadors of road safety where ever they go.
The country Director of Amend also disclosed that Amend has also produced a motorcycle instructors training manual as part of their road safety project.
DSP Joseph Appiah, a senior police officer in charge of the motor riders at the Central MTTD in address reminded motor riders to always check the state of their bikes, wear the necessary dress and goggles before moving out on the road.
He urged the riders not to drive on the verges of the road.
“Ensure you follow road traffic regulation and keep yourself safe while on the road, ” he added.
Mr. Daniel Wireku, Deputy director in charge of programs at the National Road Safety Authority who represented Ing. May Obiri, the Director-General said the lack of training and compliance to road traffic regulations is the course of road crashes involving motor riders.
He said the majority of the motor riders seen in town have no license and do not even know road signs.
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey