In the wake of Monday’s gory road crash on the Kintampo-Tamale Highway that led to the death of over 30 people, the National Road Safety Authority is advocating for a concerted effort to reduce such incidents.
According to preliminary checks by the Authority, the crash, which also left others injured, was caused by an error by one of the drivers as neither the vehicles involved nor the road infrastructure showed signs of deficiency.
The Executive Director of the National Road Safety Authority, May Obiri Yeboah, speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show said that “internationally, road crashes had been declared as a public health issue”.
“That is why the UN declared 2010 to 2020 as a UN decade for road safety because they thought that it was a public health issue so we have said it on end. If we really want this thing to be done, then we have to put in resources. With road safety, when you put in resources, it is not just about the cost but rather we are solving the problem. And I’m sure that when we do that, and we get your support, it will also drum in the information we are saying and will change the minds of people. Because we need to change our mindset as a nation and as individuals,” she said.
Answering to a possible ban on night travels, May Obiri Yeboah welcomed the suggestion saying, it could be adopted upon deliberations and considerations of its likely impact.
She indicated that: “That is another thing we can look at. We can look at the pros and cons also. If it’s something that can be done, we will issue a statement whether by the Ministry or by us and if it’s accepted, why not? So that we protect lives. After all, if you want to go somewhere and you never get there and rather you’ll stay back and plan your journey properly so that you can get there on time, why not? So it’s something that can be considered. We can think through it and see whether as a nation, that is what we can also do.”
Meanwhile, President Nana Akufo-Addo has been commiserating with the bereaved families via social media.
In a post on Twitter, the President extended his sympathies and condolences to the bereaved families and also wished the injured speedy recovery.
Background
Over 30 persons were confirmed dead after two buses collided on the Kintampo-Tamale Highway on Monday, March 9, 2020.
The deceased in the crash were burned beyond recognition after the vehicles caught fire.
There were six survivors who were sent to nearby health facilities.
One of the buses involved in the crash was from Bawku and was headed to Techiman when the crash occurred near an area called Dawadawa No 2. It had about 11 passengers on board.
The other vehicle was a Sprinter bus with about 23 passengers.
On the back of this, the Director of Planning and Programs for the National Road Safety Authority, Ing. David Osafo Adonteng said the Authority’s preliminary checks indicate that the crash was a result of driver error.
Similar road crashes
The recent crash has been the most fatal since the Dompoase crash which claimed 35 lives in January 2020.
In that crash, an Intercity bus collided head-on with another bus at Dompoase near Elmina in the Central Region.
In a different crash, nine persons died and 51 were injured in a road crash at Monkra between Dambai and Kete Krachi in the Oti Region.
The Kintampo area has seen some of the more gruesome road crashes in recent years.
About 60 persons died in April 2019 when a VVIP Kia bus travelling from Garu in the Upper East Region to Kumasi and a Grandbird bus with from Accra to Bolgantaga also in the Upper East Region collided on the Techiman-Kintampo road.