Ghana is among countries in the highest accident occurrence bracket in the world. This is not an enviable record because it just shows that many citizens either die or get maimed while travelling on the country’s highways.
While some of these accidents are caused by the drivers on whose vehicles these passengers are travelling, others are triggered by motorists of other vehicles sharing the same road.
In both scenarios, however, the accidents are avoidable. All efforts to stem the spate of accidents have so far not registered the desired outcome. Passengers can under the circumstances just fold their arms as they risk their lives on commercial vehicles on the country’s highways praying for safe arrival at their final destinations.
Although in the past few months, we have been spared stories about mass deaths in single accidents; that is not to say that something monumental has been done to restore the necessary road discipline on our highways.
Last week, a new inter-city bus terminal was inaugurated at Circle, Accra. The company wants, of course, to be different as they tout measures to ensure safety of their passengers.
We find the novelty in monitoring adherence to speed limits set by the company welcoming. Drivers exceeding the company’s set speed limit would, of course, be sanctioned. The expected positive results from this measure including the ability to report bad drivers to the authorities would serve as modules for emulation by other companies.
Recognised commercial transport companies should be engaged consistently by the relevant agencies in road safety with a view to eventually fashioning a roadmap to ensure sanity on our roads.
We are still convinced that with the appropriate measures accidents on our highways can be reduced to the barest minimum.
We especially want to have the module of the 2 M Express Bus Service of compulsory adherence to speed limits replicated by other companies especially the big brands such as VIP and the others.
Until the government is endowed with funds to dualise our major roads, the dangers posed by overtaking will persist. Commercial bus drivers should be educated and even discouraged from overtaking as much as possible.
The State Transport Company (STC) has been consistent with their safety record – a fact attributable to strict adherence to discipline as laid down by the company.
Elsewhere in this edition three DCEs are in critical condition after vehicles on which they were travelling were involved in an accident in the Northern Region.
They might have survived the accident but the criticalness in which they are is worrying. Looking at the wreckage of the vehicles is heartbreaking; the DCEs escaped death by the whiskers.
It would be important to know what caused the accident because this would offer lessons on how to avoid future occurrences.