The Upper West Regional Platform on Disaster Reduction has suggested the establishment of emergency operation centres in the major routes linking the region to other parts of the country to help reduce highway armed robbery.
It recommended that one of such centres, involving the Police and the Military to patrol the Wa-Bamboi-Techiman Highway, should be set up at Tinga, in the Northern Region, to help reduce highway robbery that had caused the loss of many lives and property in recent times.
Similar centres should also be located at Wa-Hamile, Wa-Bolgatanga and the Sawla-Damango-Fufulso Highways, which should be manned jointly by Military and Police patrols through the Upper West, Upper East and Northern Regions.
A press statement issued and signed by Naa Robert Loggah, Chairman of the Platform, expressed concern that some passengers from the region who travel on those routes to the South and other parts of the country to transact businesses had been robbed, raped, maimed and killed by robbers.
He, therefore, called on municipal, district assemblies, government establishments and non-governmental and transport organisations to help provide vehicles for the Police and Military to undertake patrols on those routes when the centres are established.
Naa Loggah suggested to financial institutions and telecommunication organisations to support the operations, as part of their social
responsibilities, to ensure the safety of their clients.
He advocated the installation of communication masts along the Maluwe -Tinga stretch of the road and that of the Tumu-Nakong to make communication service available to passengers to report the activities of robbers.
The Platform Chairman called on the government to consider the establishment of a Disaster Fund and the provision of seed money for its implementation to cater for disaster management, its prevention and maintenance when they occur.
Naa Loggah said the Platform had recorded five cases of street robbery in the Wa Municipality and three robberies on the Jirapa, Tumu and Kumfabiala highways from January to June, this year.
He appealed to religious organisations to intensify the teaching and consequences of armed robberies with prayers.