The Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC) has called on the Ministry of Roads and Highways to take swift and decisive action to repair the country’s deteriorating road network, warning that continued neglect will worsen the alarming rate of fatal accidents.

The appeal follows a horrific crash on the Accra–Kumasi Highway that claimed the lives of 16 young members of the Obogu Saviour Church.

Data from the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) shows that Ghana recorded 13,489 road traffic crashes between January and December 2024. These resulted in 18,101 casualties, comprising 2,494 deaths and 15,607 injuries, and involved 22,975 private, commercial, and motorcycle vehicles. The figures represent a slight decline from 2023, when 23,998 vehicles were involved in crashes.

The Council’s General Secretary, Emmanuel Ohene Yeboah, told JoyNews that the government must prioritise road improvements, particularly on major highways.

“The road network is bad. The government should prioritise it and fix it. If it’s not a total reconstruction, at least deal with the difficult areas and bring them to a standard that can be usable,” he said.

He stressed that dualising the major highways is the only long-term solution to significantly reduce road crashes, while also calling for basic safety measures such as proper road markings and timely pothole repairs.

Mr. Yeboah cautioned that without urgent and targeted intervention, Ghana’s road safety crisis will persist.

“If we leave it as it is, we’ll complain every day, and nothing will change. The Ministry of Roads and Highways knows exactly what needs to be done to resolve this,” he concluded.