Some Ghanaians on Tuesday expressed worry over road accidents recorded since the beginning of the year and called on the government and the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) to sanction drivers who violate the law.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Madam Joyce Frimpong, a teacher, said the Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service should sanction drivers who make and receive telephone calls while driving as it has been identified as a major cause of accidents in the country.
She noted, “Currently, road accidents have become the leading cause of death. The government and the NRSC should make sure drivers comply with the law in order to minimise road accidents.”
Joseph Boakye, a contractor, said, “Construction and infrastructural projects should be awarded to qualified engineers in order to save lives and enhance the economic growth of the country.”
Mr Boakye stressed that the Eastern corridor road has also become a major death trap, “because those who die on that road are not public figures, no one hears of it, which is bad.”
In an interview with the GNA, Madam Grace Addo said bad construction practices in the country have resulted in high accident rates as most of the contractors do not evacuate their machinery immediately after completion of work.
Isaac Baah, an engineer, stressed that there are a lot of roads that were awarded to various contractors over the past five years, but had not been done and thereby creating problems for road users.
Nana Ama, a student of the University of Education Winneba, said, “The question I always ask is, should we wait for people to die before the contractors patch up the roads? Or should people die before politicians start to pay tribute to them?”
She urged the NRSC to come out and educate drivers on the causes of accident.
A teacher by name Belinda Appiah, pointed out, “Our roads are full of potholes, while others have heaped sand on the edges of the roads.”