The mining firm is embarking on the laudable initiative in close collaboration with the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Drivers and Vehicles Licensing Authority (DVLA), Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Private Roads Transport Union (GPRTU) in Obuasi.
The week-long campaign dubbed, “Ekwanso Dwoo Dwoo”, kicked off with sensitisation programmes on selected local radio stations and community information centres, before being extended to drivers on the Obuasi to Kwapia road, a known accident-prone stretch.
In October this year, 13 people lost their lives when a VIP bus they were travelling in from Kumasi to Enchi in the Western North Region, reportedly veered off the road and plunged into a ditch near Kwapia.
The ‘Ekwanso Dwoo Dwoo’ road safety campaign therefore, sought to remind drivers of the need to observe defensive driving and abide by road safety regulations, according to the Community Relations Manager for AngloGold Ashanti- Obuasi Mine, Mr. Edmund Oduro Agyei.
According to statistics from the MTTD, 1,237 lives were lost between January and June 2024 through road accidents, with Ashanti Region alone recording 325 casualties, a 67 percent increment over the 2023 figure within the same period.
Mr. Agyei said the company as part of its corporate social responsibilities towards the reduction of road crashes, had commenced an intensive free road safety training for 50 commercial and institutional drivers as well as cyclists in Obuasi.
This, he said, was in line with its Community Safety Programme as captured in the company’s 10- year Socio-economic Development Plan (SEDP).
He mentioned that the outdoor road safety campaign was a follow-up to the refresher training offered motorists last year.
“We are here with other stakeholders not to enforce road safety rules but to be practical and admonish drivers on the need to drive safe and alive”, Mr. Agyei noted.
He cautioned drivers to avoid driving under the influence of alcohol, overloading, over-speeding, and non-adherence to road safety protocols.
Mr. Edwin Ofori, the Manager of Obuasi Office of DVLA, commended AngloGold Ashanti for the initiative, describing it as the right approach to deal with the rise in road accidents on the Obuasi to Kumasi Road.
“We need collaborative efforts to curb high incidence of road accidents.
The approach to bring all of us together to drum home the essence of safe driving to the drivers is the right intervention, which needs to be sustained”, he emphasised.
In all, a total of 1,000 drivers and passengers were engaged during the exercise.
Mr. Kwesi Agyenim Boateng, Ashanti Regional Director, National Road Safety Authority, said it was a useful exercise and lauded AngloGold for taking the bold step.
He cited over speeding, especially among high-risk commercial drivers and motorcyclists, as the cause of increase in road accidents on the Obuasi to Kumasi Road, stressing the need for such campaigns to curb the menace.
GNA
