Tema-Ghana, Dec. 22, MNN – Mr Joseph Korto, Presiding Member of Tema Metropolitan Assembly has cautioned the motoring public as well as pedestrians to be attentive either driving or crossing the road during and after the Christmas festivities.
Mr Korto also called for enhanced road safety education and enforcement of laws as a key strategy to reduce and some instances prevent road crashes and fatalities in the country.
He said enforcement of road safety requires a collective and deliberate effort through the education of road users and the application of the road safety regulation as prescribed by law to cause behavioural change.
Mr Korto who is also the National Dean of Presiding Members, who was speaking at the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office Road Safety campaign platform, said, when education and enforcement strategies were up scaled it would result in a drastic reduction of road crashes.
The GNA-Tema Road Safety Project seeks to create consistent and systematic weekly awareness advocacy on the need to be cautious on the road as a user, educate all road users on their respective responsibilities, and sensitize drivers, especially on road safety regulations, rules and laws.
Mr Korto, who is also the Presiding Member of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly cautioned that “the earlier we educate road users and enforce the laws, the better; because we cannot afford to lose people as a result of preventable road crashes in the country”.
He said the Assembly as part of efforts to reduce crashes was ensuring that road markings, streetlights and others are maintained to reduce the risk of accidents in the Tema Metropolis.
According to him, there must be road safety enforcement which should also see formal processes to apply sanctions to road users who flout the law to serve as deterrent to others flout the laws.
“Even though people go to driving school before obtaining a driving license, there’s the need to educate not only the drivers, but other road users including pedestrians as a preventive measure,” he said.
He pledged support for the road safety campaign and lauded the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional office for the campaign, saying that such awareness creation was key to behavioural change through adequate road safety information dissemination.
Mr Francis Ameyibor, GNA Tema Regional Manager, called for a collaborative effort by all stakeholders in road safety in order to stem the tide.
