Commercial drivers in the Sunyani Municipality have called on the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) to intensify road safety campaigns to help control road crashes and fatalities in the country.
They said the Commission could also do this effectively, if government provided adequate resources for it and other road sector agencies to deliver on their constitutional mandate.The drivers made the call during a pre-Easter safety campaign organised by the Brong-Ahafo Regional Office of the NRSC at the Nana Bosoma Central Market in the Sunyani Municipality.
The event was aimed at reminding drivers on road safety regulations and the need for them to adhere strictly to traffic signals.The Commission also distributed road safety education materials, including stickers to the drivers.Mr Samuel Opoku, the Station Officer at the I.O. Ampofo bus terminal, said road safety education could go down well to the drivers if the campaign was conducted continuously and in a consistent manner.
He said lack of government resources should not be seen as excuse or justification for the commission in carrying out its mandate as it could find alternative ways of raising funds internally.Mr Samuel Kyei, one of the drivers, expressed concern about what he described as the weak relationship between the NRSC and some road sector agencies and called for an effective and efficient collaboration between them.
He expressed concern about the faded road markings on some of the major highways in the country and appealed to the Commission to do something about it.Mr Kyei called for pragmatic measures to control the construction of unauthorised speed ramps by communities along especially the Sunyani-Kumasi highway and also repair the several potholes that had been developed on portions the road.
Mr Kwesi Agyenim Boateng, the Planning Officer at the Brong-Ahafo Regional Office of the NSRC, entreated the drivers to avoid over-speeding and careless driving.He said drunk-driving was a serious road safety offence and offenders would be prosecuted.