The Motor, Transport, and Traffic Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service has indicated that the incidents of road crashes in the country have declined due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which restricted people’s movement.
President Akufo-Addo has, since March 12, 2020, when Ghana recorded its first two cases of COVID-19, issued several directives to prevent the spread of the disease.
Among the directives was a three-week partial lockdown of Accra and Kumasi, the epicentres of the virus, including Kasoa and Tema.
The President also shut down schools and subsequently eased them in batches.
In his 16th address to the nation, he directed that schools for second-year Junior High School (JHS) and Senior High School (SHS) students resume on October 5, 2020, while all nursery, kindergarten, primary, JHS 1 and SHS 1 students had the rest of their 2019/2020 academic year postponed to January 2021.
According to the Director in charge of Education, Research and Training at MTTD, Superintendent Alexander Kwaku Obeng these measures have not only reduced the spread of the virus but also incidents of road crashes.
“Between 21st March and April, a lot of Ghanaians were in their homes. And as I’m speaking, a lot of students are back home because of social distancing because of that, virtual communication has reduced physical interaction. And it has impacted the same on incidents of road crashes and issues of indiscipline.”
He disclosed that the department arrested 2,500 drivers for various offences between January and July this year in a bid to reduce road crashes in the country.
According to the Department, 1,800 of them have been convicted whereas 16 of them have been sentenced to prison.