Bolgatanga: Mr Abraham Amaliba, the Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), has outlined a series of reforms the Authority is undertaking aimed at reducing road crashes and fatalities across the country.
According to Ghana News Agency, the reforms include the introduction of mandatory vehicle towing, the nationwide rollout of the Traffic Tech (technology-driven traffic enforcement system), intensified public education, enforcement of helmet wearing, as well as making Regional Ministers and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives Road Safety Ambassadors.
Mr Amaliba announced the reforms during a courtesy call on Mr Akamugri Donatus Atanga, the Upper East Regional Minister, in Bolgatanga as part of a nationwide stakeholder engagement tour. He stated that these measures, set to be implemented from next year, are part of a broader strategy to curb the rising number of deaths on Ghana's roads and eliminate human interference in traffic law enforcement.
'We are aware of the rise in fatalities, and the numbers don't look good. More people are dying through road traffic accidents than what happened during COVID. It appears we are not giving so much attention to road crashes,' Mr Amaliba remarked.
The Director-General highlighted that the country is losing productive citizens to preventable road crashes, resulting in significant economic consequences, and the Authority is determined to change this narrative. A key reform involves the implementation of Legislative Instrument (LI) 2519, which mandates towing services for all vehicle owners.
Under this new regulation, motorists must subscribe to a towing company or an insurance provider capable of towing broken-down vehicles. 'We have noticed that stationary vehicles, when they break down, have caused so many accidents and increased the fatality rate. Immediately your car breaks down, you call your insurance company or your towing company to remove it. If that fails, we will remove it and surcharge you. That is a way to reduce the carnage on our roads,' he explained.
Additionally, Mr Amaliba announced the introduction of the Traffic Tech system, set to replace manual traffic enforcement with technology from next year. He explained that speed cameras would be installed on roads, patrol vehicles, and tripods to automatically detect traffic violations, such as overspeeding and jumping red traffic lights. Offenders would receive text notifications with a three-second video of the offence before paying the applicable penalty.
The Director-General mentioned that the Authority would spend the next six months on nationwide public education and sensitisation before the full rollout of the new systems in 2027. Mr Akamugri Donatus Atanga, the Upper East Regional Minister, welcomed the planned reforms and emphasized the importance of innovation in addressing the country's road safety challenges.
'I am happy that you are thinking outside the box and trying to bring in innovations so that we can address the issue,' he said, pledging the Regional Coordinating Council's support for implementing the new measures. He also urged influential persons, not just politicians, to avoid interfering with traffic law enforcement.
The Minister appealed to the NRSA to facilitate the repair of faulty traffic lights in the region, particularly in Bolgatanga, Navrongo, Sandema, and Bawku, to enhance road safety and support security operations. He noted the lack of helmet use among motorbike riders as a major cause of fatalities from road crashes, urging the Commission to include enforcement in their education campaign.
The Director-General was accompanied by Mr Martin Afram, Director of Planning and Programmes, Mr Denis Yeribu, Deputy Director of Programmes, and Mr Eric Anokye Fordjour, Acting Upper East Regional Head of the NRSA, during visits to Mr Roland Atanga Ayoo, the Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive, the Ghana Police Service, and Sumbrungu-Anateem, a crash-prone area.