Takoradi, Jan 20, – Personnel of
the security services have been advised not use their service uniforms as a
guarantee to drive vehicles without acquiring the appropriate driver's licence.
“Service uniforms are not
protective equipment against motor accidents and all must endeavour to acquire
the appropriate driver's licence to enable them drive”.
Mr Thomas Bismark Boakye, Western
Regional Manager of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) said this during
a day's “Incident Command and Control” workshop held for senior officers from
security services, safety managers, transport managers and the media in
Takoradi.
The workshop was to enable the
participants to plan ahead in dealing with some of the emergencies on the roads
such as road traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities.
He said many officials of the
security services, including the police did not have valid driver's licence but
because they are always in uniform their driver license are not checked when
they are on the road.
Mr Boakye said that many other
road users drive their vehicles without the requisite licence and urged them to
acquire valid licence.
The NRSC regional manager was however happy that motor crashes had
reduced significantly in the region due to the number of police check points
and the decongestion of major streets and car parks in the region and pledged
that it would be sustained to further reduce motor crashes.
Mr Boakye said for two years the
region did not record any motor accidents during the yuletide but regretted
that three lives were lost during this year's Christmas.
He said the region recorded a
total of 523 motor accidents last year involving 351 commercial and 172 private
vehicles whiles 759 motor bikes were also involved in accidents resulting in
the death of 109 people.
Mr Boakye said 125 deaths were
recorded with 563 injuries.
He said the region also recorded
161 pedestrian knockdowns of which 58 died.
Mr Boakye said many of the
commercial vehicles that were involved in accidents in the year under review
did not belong to any union or particular lorry station and gave the assurance
that everything would be done to address the problem.
He mentioned road user
indiscipline, abuse of road markings and signs, intolerance, speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, fatigue
driving, talking on phone whiles driving and driving without due regard to road
traffic laws and regulations as some of
the road safety problems in the region.
Mr Boakye said his outfit would
intensify public education on road safety issues and announced that NRSC was
collaborating with Rotary Club to re-paint all the pedestrian crossing in the
region.
The NRSC Regional Manager said
this year, the Commission was poised to
punish all traffic offenders, adding that with the institution of a driver
training school, any driver who breaks the law would be sent to the school for training.
On the way forward he suggested
the quick implementation of the spot fine in the country as well as the
institutionalization of towing system.
The participants were also taken
through dealing with LPG incidents, loading of cargo, health awareness,
occupational injuries and leadership skills.
GNA
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