Lawyer Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo is urging the government to dualize the major highways to reduce the spate of the fatal road accidents recorded in the country.
He said the government could alternatively consider expanding the existing roads to allow vehicles to easily manoeuvre in case of driving towards an impending danger.
[contextly_sidebar id=”HYVJESlVifs8SS0cGWaIUEDq6FfIQb5C”]Speaking on Citi FM/Citi TV’s news analysis programme, The Big Issue, the lawyer expressed worry over the spate of road crashes on Ghana’s major roads, indicating that deliberate efforts must be made by the government and allied agencies to deal with the problem.
He said the dualization of the roads, will prevent head-on collisions which have been responsible for many fatal accidents.
“The problem is, we should open it up. At least two in and two out so that head on collision can be avoided. Sometimes in driving, you see the danger ahead and with a smaller car, you can squeeze and manoeuvre but with a bigger car it is difficult. We construct roads and we leave the slopes on the side of the road making it very difficult to manoeuvre. So in an attempt to avoid a head-on collision, you have nowhere to go,” he said.
At least 70 people were killed in two separate road crashes that occurred in the country on Friday.
One of the accidents occurred on the Kintamapo-Techiman highway, leaving more than 60 people dead and the other occurred on the Accra-Cape Coast road where about 10 passengers perished.
The two incidents have brought to the fore again, concerns about the safety of Ghana’s roads especially intercity highways, some of which are notorious for fatal crashes.
The lawyer, however, added that such accidents could also be caused by recklessness by some drivers and so there is the need for “continuous driver education.”
Presidential convoy must be careful
Lawyer Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo further had the cause to complain about the activities of government vehicles and executive convoys on Ghana’s roads, noting that the way the vehicles drive could sometimes lead to motor accidents.
“Sometimes it is crazy,” he remarked in reaction to how the presidential and vice presidential convoys are driven.
“If they are coming, they take every side of the road. I am appealing to whoever is in charge, when you are driving on these roads, you are driving with the lives of Ghanaians in mind as well. You are not driving only to protect the president. You can’t take the entire road where we all have one side to drive. It is scary. They take the entire road and they come at a speed so if you are not careful or you don’t have early notice, you will drive into the convoy. I’m not surprise that sometimes some drivers drive into some part of the convoy,” he added.
Nii Kpakpo Samoa further appealed that, “If our roads are not going to be expanded. Let’s [the convoy] not drive that way. If it is a presidential convoy, you can drive in your speed but drive in one file, don’t take the entire road.”
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By: Jonas Nyabor | citinewsroom.com | Ghana
