The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has intensified preventive interventions to curb the rising incidence of road accidents in the Ashanti Region, with a focused operation on accident-prone sections of the Kumasi–Accra Highway. 

As part of the exercise, NADMO officials from the Ashanti Regional Secretariat, in collaboration with the Asante-Akim Central Municipal NADMO office, erected road safety signposts along the Asante-Akim stretch of the highway.  

The warning signs, bearing inscriptions such as “Slow Down, Accident Prone Area,” are intended to alert motorists and reduce excessive speeding, particularly during the festive season when traffic volumes increase. 

The Ashanti Regional Public Relations Officer of NADMO, Prince Ahmed, speaking during the exercise, said the intervention was informed by disturbing accident data inherited by the current administration.  

According to him, the data revealed that the stretch is highly accident-prone, making preventive action imperative. 

“We realised from the data that this area records frequent accidents. While it may be impossible to eliminate accidents, we are determined to significantly reduce their occurrence through preventive measures,” Mr Ahmed stated. 

He explained that the initiative was not limited to the Asante-Akim area but formed part of a region-wide strategy.  

NADMO, he said, was working closely with key stakeholders, including the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), and Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to promote safer road use. 

Mr Ahmed stressed that disaster prevention was a shared responsibility and underscored the importance of stakeholder engagement and community acceptance.  

“Our role is to anticipate risks and mitigate them to an acceptable level for communities. That is why we involve all relevant institutions and road users so that, together, we can achieve lasting results,” he said. 

The Asante-Akim Central Municipal Director of NADMO, Lanbon Joseph, disclosed that between September 1 and December 2 this year, 13 accidents were recorded on the stretch, involving about 100 passengers, and that six people lost their lives. 

He noted that the figures did not include accidents involving heavy-duty trucks, suggesting that the actual situation might be more severe. 

According to him, the ongoing interventions were preventive and aimed at reducing fatalities and injuries on major highways across the Ashanti Region.  

He appealed to motorists to heed road safety signs, obey traffic regulations, and cooperate with enforcement agencies to help save lives on Ghana’s roads.