The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has lambasted government for the increased spate of road accidents in the country.

The party while bemoaning the loss of lives in Wednesday's Kintampo carnage that killed at least 63 passengers, said weak leadership in the Mahama administration is showing through the fatalities on the roads.

In a statement released to the press Sunday, the NPP’s Director of Communication, Nana Akomea, said the country lacks the “leadership to implement the pragmatic measures we all agree are necessary to reduce these tragic accidents.”

The party berated drivers’ attitudes on the roads saying “the common thread in these tragic accidents has mainly been reckless driving, manifest in over-speeding, by drivers of long distance passenger buses.”

The NPP urged government to stand up to the occasion, and address issues of road accidents in the country.

 

Below is the statement:

PRESS RELEASE

Sunday, 21st February 2016

THE SPATE OF TRAGIC ACCIDENTS ON OUR HIGHWAYS: GOVERNMENT SHOULD SHOW LEADERSHIP IN IMPLEMENTING PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS

The spate of horrendous, tragic vehicular accidents on the nation’s highways have caused immense sorrow to many families and the nation at large. 
One such recent accident occurred at the Winneba junction, when a passenger Benz bus, whilst engaged in overtaking, ran headlong into a tipper truck.

Over a dozen Ghanaians lost their lives instantly in this accident.

Just last Wednesday 17 February at Kintampo, a passenger bus, also in an attempt to overtake, ran headlong into a cargo truck.
Over 60 Ghanaians have so far lost their lives in this accident.  According to one survivor, the driver of the passenger bus was speeding recklessly.  The pictures and footage from these accidents have drawn shock and tears from many Ghanaians.

The common thread in these tragic accidents has mainly been reckless driving, manifest in over speeding, by drivers of long distance passenger buses.

This problem has been long identified. Pragmatic solutions have also been long advocated and agreed. However, the rhetoric has not been backed by the needed leadership to implement the pragmatic measures we all agree are necessary to reduce these tragic accidents.

This unfortunate pattern is repeating itself again in the wake of the Kintampo accident.

President Mahama, earlier this year remarked that passengers needed to be vigilant in checking driver over speeding. At the  recent swearing in of  IGP Kudalor( in the  wake of the Kintampo accident), he again lamented  that " many people  are losing their lives because of reckless driving"

He went on to charge the police to cooperate with the transport organisations to check the growing indiscipline and lawlessness on the roads. Various leaders make similar laments and exhortations when these accidents occur.

As indicated, what has been sorely lacking is the leadership to ensure implementation of the pragmatic measures that we all agree will reduce these tragic road accidents.

One pragmatic measure that has long been advocated and agreed is the need for a policy to require mandatory installation of speed alarms in all long distance passenger buses.

The loud warning alarm anytime a driver goes beyond an agreed limit, all agree, will be best way to limit over speeding in long distance passenger buses and hence reduce these accidents that result from this reckless over speeding.

The NPP urges the government to this time not end with the rhetoric.  Government should immediately initiate processes to legislate this policy, to make it mandatory for all long distance passenger vehicles to be fitted with speed alarms.

This will be the best way of ensuring that those who have died at Kintampo would not have died in vain.

…signed…
Nana Akomea
(Director of Communications)