Expect more checks on road worthiness - NRSC Boss

The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) says the public should expect roadworthiness checks prior to departures at major terminals and road corridors during and after the Christmas season.“Motorists should also expect a significant emphasis on the condition of steering, tyres and headlights.”The Executive Director (NRSC), Mrs May Obiri-Yeboah, announced this when she presented equipment and accessories valued GHC 200,000 cedis to the Motor Transport Traffic Department (MMTD) of Ghana Police Service.The items include 1,000 reflective vests, 200 magic lights, 200 white hand gloves, and 100 body bags. Others are 40 measuring wheel and 10 height gauges.The ceremony was also for stakeholders to announce plans for the road sector to stem road crashes during and after Christmas.She said the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) had deployed about 10 Rescue Vehicles and teams to feed some major corridors across the country.According to her, the NRSC and its partners, including the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Authority and National Commission on Civic Education, would initiate outreach programmes at major terminals in Accra and the region.

The Executive Director urged the public to reach the emergency and distress numbers on 112 from all networks.“In addition, the Ghana National Ambulance Service will as well deploy some teams to support post-crash care in the unlikely event of their occurrence,” she said.Mrs Obiri-Yeboah said the NRSC would be donating more items to the Police to support their enforcement programmes saying,  “we do this with the knowledge that road traffic enforcement complements other measures in improving road safety."She urged the public to be responsible as road users and help the various stakeholders to promote safety during and after the season.

Mrs Obiri-Yeboah was happy with reduction in road crashes this year, following statistics available to the commission.She said from January to November this year, 9,904 road traffic crashes involving 15,505 vehicles reported, adding that the crashes led to 1,474 deaths, 8,448 injuries and 1,938 cases of crashes.“This situation reflects a reduction of 17.5 per cent in reported cases, 17.1 per cent reduction in number of vehicles involved, 18.4 percent reduction in cases of pedestrian knock downs, 14 per cent reduction in deaths and 25.4 per cent in persons injured over the same period of January to November 2014,” she recounted.                     Assistant Commission of Police (ACP) Patrick Edusei Sarpong, Director General, Motor Transport Traffic Department of the Ghana Police, who received the items, thanked the Ghana Road Fund and NRSC for providing them with the equipment accessories.Head of Operations at the Ghana National Ambulance Service, Mr Foster Ansong-Bridjan said his outfit was also ready with personnel and vehicles around some major roads to assist in case of any eventualities.He said the Service was going to assist NRSC to educate the public on how to handle accident victims noting the way and manner some victims were handled worsened their state and even resulted in needless deaths.Source: GNA