The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has tasked the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to ensure all traffic and streetlights in their various jurisdictions are working as the year draws to an end.

According to the Authority, as the year comes to end, many Ghanaians will be travelling back home to observe the Christmas festivities and it is important for all safety measures to be put in place by the various Assemblies to save lives on the road.

The Director in charge of Planning and Programming at the NRSA, Mr David Osafo Adonteng, gave this directive to the MMDAs as part of the Authority’s campaign to stay alive during this Christmas season.

Speaking in an interview on Ghana Yensom hosted by Kwame Appiah Kubi on Accra100.5FM on Friday, November 12, 2021, Mr Adonteng said: “It is important for the Ministry of Transport and its affiliate agencies like the Ghana Highways Authority and Feeder Roads among others to begin their periodic maintenance of the roads ahead of the yuletide to protect lives.”

“This year, as a safety agency, we are working hard to reduce the spate of accidents on the highways,” he said.    

He reminded all passengers who will be travelling in commercial vehicles during Christmas not to be passive passengers.

“It is equally important for you to speak against acts on the part of drivers that endanger your life as a passenger,” he said.

He called on members of the public to be on the lookout for drivers who drive recklessly on the road and endanger the lives of others on the road.

He said anytime such situations occur on the road, “just pull out your mobile and record the scene and put it on social media and as an agency, we will pick it up from there”.

He said the authority is working to ensure the activities of motorbikes and tricycles are also taken care of to minimise motor accidents during the season.

“We expect the Ministry of Transport to come out soon and give us a direction as to the new policy on using motorcycles and tricycles in Ghana, and then the agencies responsible for its implementation such as the NRSA, the police, and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) will come up with some regulatory mechanisms to be able to control the situation,” Mr Adonteng stated.