PASSENGERS URGED TO BE ACTIVE ROAD USERS
The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) has launched the Passenger Empowerment and Easter Campaign dubbed “Passengers, Speak Up! Don’t Get Killed on the road”.
The campaign is a prelude amongst others to scale up road user education during the festive season.
The Passenger Empowerment and Easter Campaign is to ensure that passengers aboard commercial vehicles demand safety from transport operators at lorry terminals and also to take active interest in road safety.Passenger fatalities constitute about 23 percent of road traffic crashes ranging from 400 to 600 in the last decade.
Performing the launch of the campaign, Minister of Transport, Hon. Dzifa Aku Attivor noted that between 2010 and 2012, about 1,184 persons have been killed as passengers with several others sustaining injuries.
She explained that the problem of passenger deaths exists because the transport industry, largely dominated by private operators are motivated by profits and operate within limited safety standards.
Hon. Dzifa Attivor hinted that the Ministry is in the process of establishing the National Road Transport Regulatory Authority. Its mandate amongst others is to regulate and ensure a quality based service delivery by the public and private sector operators.
She noted that government, through the NRSC will intensify outreach programmes countrywide to reach out to road users. The Minister mentioned some activities including road safety talk shows, radio messages, songs and messages.
Executive Director of the National Road Safety Commission, Ing. May Obiri-Yeboah advised passengers not to assume passive roles but rather speak against any wrong doing on the road.
She congratulated all especially stakeholders for the support that the NRSC has enjoyed so far.
The Executive Director also commended the President, H.E. John Mahama for his exemplary interest in advocacy for road safety and passenger safety.
“It is our expectation to work with our stakeholders to scale up advocacy for pedestrian safety and non-use of motor-bikes for commercial purposes”, she added.
SOURCE: THE NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY COMMISSION
