Motorbikes, tricycles contributes over 40% deaths, enforce law on banning – GPRTU

Chairman of the Roads and Transport Committee in Parliament, Kennedy Osei Nyarko has called for enforcement of the law that bans motorcycles and tricycles from operating in the country.

Kennedy Osei Nyarko speaking at a meeting between the transport committee and transport operators in the country on Wednesday said the increasing number of deaths on the country’s road is unacceptable and needless.

The meeting was aimed at understanding the concerns of drivers and agree on a workable solution going forward following a JoyNews documentary by Seth Kwame Boateng on a road accident titled ‘Crushed’.

Over 800 people were revealed to have died through road accident making it the number one killer in the country this year.

Mr Osei-Nyarko believes “over 40%” out of the number can be attributed to the motor and tricycle riders.

“If you pay attention to what these tricycles and ‘okada’ are doing, you will see it is contributing to the increase in numbers.”

According to him, tricycles are not to convey passengers, yet they are seen carrying people in the country and nothing has been done about it.

“Why must we wait for this to occur?” he questioned.

The Chairman said the call for action was not aimed at abolishing someone’s work “but any work that anyone is undertaking that is not helping the society must not be encouraged.”

“It is okay for everyone to work to fend for themselves, but not one that is killing the human.”

He said the riders have taken the law into their hands and that they are not part of the traffic regulation, “even if the red light is on, they will go.”

“Even when we are all in a line, they would use the middle lane and go, so they are the ones causing these problems.”

Mr Osei Nyarko said with the government’s intention to end the menace, the law must be allowed to work.