To state that the manner in which vendors sell their wares close to vehicular traffic in our urban centres does not expose them to danger cannot be acceptable.
Unfortunately, however, when measures are taken to protect lives of such vendors such as stopping them from selling on highways and streets close to vehicles, there would be public outcry.
In an ambience where everything can be politicised, including measures adopted to ensure the safety of citizens, these would be leveraged upon by uncaring citizens.
On Monday, the people of Nsawam were greeted by a sad incident when a truck rammed into other vehicles and in the event claimed four lives, all of them vendors.
We should not continue to lose lives through faults which in some instances, are caused by the non-application of existing laws or even bylaws.
We can bet that vendors criss-crossing streets and even highways as they sell their wares contravene some aspects of bylaws in Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) especially, in our urban settings.
Highways, especially, can be dangerous when movements on them are unregulated.
The Nsawam accident under review, should not have claimed lives yet it did because of the freedom with which vendors sell their wares.
While we recognise the importance of their occupation as sources of their daily bread, we would insist that they do so with safety in mind. Anything which endanger lives should be stemmed by all means especially, enforcement of regulations.
With lives already lost as a result of the accident, the authorities in this case, the MMDAs, in places where highway trading takes places such as Nsawam, measures should be put in place to ensure that such persons do not endanger their lives.
Vehicles are mechanical and could therefore develop faults even while in motion. Such faults as the development of brake failure can be dangerous as evidenced in the Nsawam incident.
An immediate clearing of vendors from portions of the highways which could expose them to danger would have been welcome but unfortunately, the authorities, the MMDAs, would not do so. Â There would be resistance only when many days are allowed to elapse before doing so.
It is our position that the authorities educate vendors about the possible dangers in selling on the highways using the recent Nsawam accident as a case in point.
Vehicle owners too must ensure regular maintenance of their trucks to obviate the kind of incident which occurred in Nsawam.
We wish the bereaved families the strength to weather the pain of their loss as we pray for the speedy recovery of the injured.