C/R: NRSA HOLDS STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION MEETING TO COMBAT CRIME RATE ON ROAD

Following the research which revealed that Accra-Cape Coast highway ranked Africa's deadliest road, the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has held Stakeholders Consultation Meeting at the premises of Municipal Assembly - Conference Hall, Winneba to rigid the measures to combat road accident.

Deadly crashes have been recorded on the Accra - Cape Coast road over the years

Speaking in an exclusive interview on the Theme: "The Role Of Stakeholders In Operationalizing The Authority's Mandate," Mr. Kwame Koduah Atuahene, the Head-Regulation, Inspection and Compliance Directorate for National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) said, they cannot enforce the new law without Stakeholders engagement.

He stressed that, it has been revealed that Central Region has one of the deadliest roads through a new research with Ghana getting top mention for the Africa Region thanks to the Accra - Cape Coast highway. 

He emphasized that, through the Stakeholders Consultation held will help boast and improve the District Assembly Data Plan and together they can move forward with the new directives and mandate.

Mr. Kwame Koduah further stated, "today's meeting does not end here, we will from time to time meet in decision making' and urged the media to carry the message out.

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Mr. Kwame Koduah Atuahene, the Head-Regulation, Inspection and Compliance Directorate, NRSA

Reaching the Central Regional Vice Chairman for PROTOA, Mr. Eric Amoako also expressed his heartfelt appreciation to the Stakeholders for making the engagement a successful one.

Mr. Amoako lamented on the worry behind the condition that, some drivers with the long vehicles sometimes exhibit unqualified attitude towards the taxi drivers, hence urged all to be united in order to curb most road accident by obeying the road signs.

He also called on the NRSA to extends its teachings to the various lorry stations in order to combat most road accident.

Watch the video below:

Central Regional Vice Chairman for PROTOA, Mr. Eric Amoako 

According to the Budget Direct report, researchers were commissioned by an insurance company, Budget Direct, to identify the worst routes across different continents.

The researchers gleaned information from government websites, news reports and transport associations to arrive at their findings, the report added.

"In Africa, the road with the deadliest reputation is the Accra to Cape Coast Road in Ghana, which connects Accra to Cape Coast. Between 2004 and 2011, there were 6,104 accidents and 7,465 casualties," the Daily Mail report noted.

In early 2018, the National Road Safety Commission, NRSC, disclosed that 60% of all accidents in 2017 occured on that road.

Ms Affotey-Annang, the then Acting Regional Manager for the Commission told journalists that road accidents increased from 788 in 2016 to 978 in 2017; which represented an increase of 23.7 per cent.

In 2017 therefore, 1,402 vehicles and 307 pedestrian were involved in accidents on the stretch killing 193 people and injuring 1,545 others.

Other deadly roads across Africa

Over in East Africa, Kenya's Mombasa to Nairobi road was also mentioned as a deadly stretch which in 2019, claimed 27 lives within an eight-month period.

In the southern Africa region, Zimbabwe's Plumtree-Bulawayo-Harare-Mutare Highway recorded 569 accidents in 2016 according to researchers.

In Central Africa, Cameroon's National 3 highway was classfied by the United Nations as one of the world's most dangerous roads back in 2014.

The route which connects the main commercial capital, Douala, to the political capital of Yaoundé, is marked by commemorative plaques that mark lost lives on the stretch.

Records indicate that a third of Cameroon's 3,000 annual accidents are recorded on the road.