Members of Parliament (MPs) have raised urgent concerns over the increasing practice of transporting containers on low-bed trailers without proper securing mechanisms, warning that the trend is costing lives and endangering road users across Ghana.

Contributing to a statement on the Floor of Parliament, in Accra, the lawmakers said containers falling from trucks on major highways had led to avoidable accidents, massive traffic congestion, road damage, and preventable fatalities.

Mr Bright Asamoah Brefo, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai, described the situation as a national safety crisis, noting that innocent commuters and roadside traders continued to pay the price for negligence by some transport operators.

He said: “Mr. Speaker, our citizens are being buried in their cars. Innocent families, commuters in ”trotros”, and roadside traders are being flattened into oblivion by falling steel boxes because a driver or a transport owner wanted to save five minutes at the ports.”

Mr Brefo cited Regulation 52 of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180), which mandates that all loads transported on vehicles must be securely bound and packed to prevent sliding, shifting or falling while in motion.

He stressed that the failure to enforce the law has emboldened offenders.

“Mr. Speaker, anyone who contravenes the said regulation commits an offence punishable by imprisonment, a fine, or both. Mr. Speaker, we cannot sit in this august House, pass laws, and watch our citizens perish due to a blatant lack of enforcement,” he added.

Mr Peter Lanchene Toobu, the NDC MP for Wa West, questioned why trucks carrying containers from the Tema and Takoradi Harbours passed through several checkpoints without authorities ensuring safety compliance.

“Why will you have a low bed and an articulated truck loading a container from the Tema Harbour or Takoradi Harbour, moving through various checkpoints—be they police, immigration, customs, or axle weight—you can count them, to the point that people cannot see what is right and insist that the right thing must be done?” he asked.

Mr Toobu insisted that safety verification must begin at the point of loading.

“Mr. Speaker, right at the loading point, what is supposed to be done must be done before the vehicles are allowed to move,” he said.

On his part, Mr Fred Agbenyo, the NDC MP for Guan, also called for tougher measures, including strict enforcement of axle load limits and mandatory pre-trip inspections of haulage vehicles.

“There should be a strict enforcement of axle loading limits. Mandatory pre-trip vehicle inspections—that is, before any vehicle moves from the station, somebody ought to go in there and inspect the vehicles, inspect the tyres, and make sure that the driver is in good condition before they start plying the road,” he stated.

Mr Agbenyo further raised concerns about the poor mechanical condition of some trucks, particularly worn-out tyres that increase the risk of accidents.

“Most of these vehicles, when you get close to them, most of the tyres are even worn out. In some cases, there are two tyres at the back; the inside ones are worn out, while the outside ones look good, and then they start plying the road,” he added.

The lawmakers therefore called on the Ghana Police Service, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, and other relevant agencies to intensify monitoring and enforce existing road safety regulations to prevent further loss of lives from container-related accidents.