Although road safety remained a health and developmental challenge to most countries particularly Ghana, little attention is being paid to the sector, Alhaji Sumani Mbo, the Western Regional Director of the National Road Safety Commission, has said.
He said the issues of road safety had been neglected over the years adding, "As a lead national agency for road safety, we will provide the
required leadership in road safety management".
Alhaji Mbo said this at the regional road safety awards day at Takoradi on Wednesday.
He said the Commission had adopted strategies in research, campaigns, capacity building among others to increase awareness on the need to address road safety as a global public health issue.
Intercity STC emerged the regional champion in the 2010 Best Transportation Organization Awards and took away, a 32-inch television set,
DVD player and books.
Metro Mass Transit which came second was presented with LCD 26-inch television set, DVD player and books while GPRTU placed third and was given 26-inch television set and a DVD player.
Alhaji Mbo said the commission had identified safety of passengers and pedestrians as key challenges to the country adding that the NRSC was
focused on ensuring that road crashes and their resultant fatalities were curtailed.
He commended the Police Motor Traffic Transport Unit and the Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority for stepping up enforcement to rid the roads of undesirable drivers and vehicles.
Mr Paul Aidoo, the Western Regional Minster, said in a speech read on his behalf that the socio-economic effect of road crashes was devastating.
"Undoubtedly the magnitude of road safety problem is of great concern to all. I therefore agree with road safety practitioners when they say road safety is not only a shared but a collective and moral duty on everyone", he said.