The National Security Ministry has identified the growing trend of accidents on the country’s roads as a serious security threat to the nation's growth.

The Ministry has said that this can lead to civil unrest if the situation is not checked.

It has, therefore, written a letter to the Transport Ministry, directing it to immediately put in place a joint force to deal with the situation.

The Ministry says its intervention to facilitate a reduction in road carnage is to demonstrate how critical the situation is and the need for a concerted effort to deal with it.

According to the Sector Minister, Kan Dapaah, reckless driving on the Accra-Kumasi highway portends road safety concerns.

In a confidential letter dated March 28, 2022, he stated that there has been a gross disregard for road safety precautions by some Toyota Hiace minibus drivers.

“It was gathered that the minibuses owned by 2M Express, the Ghana Private Road and Transport Union (GPRTU), and other private entities have been involved in several fatal accidents, resulting from excessive speeding and disregard for other road users,” he said.

In December 2021, five passengers on board a Toyota Hiace minibus perished at Anyinase.

During the same month, three persons on board a Toyota Hiace minibus, including Paramount Chief of Nsuta, Berima Bretwum Okyere Bediako II, lost their lives on the Kumasi-Konongo section of the highway.

Among other causes of road accidents, the Minister has directed the Transport Ministry to liaise with stakeholders in the road sector to clamp down on indiscipline driving.

“Your outfit is urged to engage the leadership of 2M Express, officials of GPRTU and private owners of Toyota Hiace vehicles to sensitise drivers on strict adherence to road safety regulations.”

Meanwhile, the Acting Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), David Osafo Adonteng, says the outfit would continue to monitor such transport services noted for reckless driving on major roads and highways.

He told JoyNews in an interview that the failure of such transport services to comply with rules and regulations would attract new mechanisms for sanctions.

“We are giving them measures to comply with. One measure is to train their drivers [and] put them into the classroom. Every driver must go through classroom training. We must give them measures with regards to how they should drive.

“One is about speeding. There are speed limits; whoever we find as not complying with our rules and regulations, everybody will see you, and we’ll name and shame you.

“At the same time, it will also communicate to the passengers and the general public not to also patronise their services,” he stated.