According to the Central Regional House of Chiefs, political campaign billboards should as a matter of urgency be used for road safety education to reduce road crashes.
President of the Central Regional House of Chiefs, Odeefuo Amoakwa Boadu VIII, is asking political parties in the country to make their political campaign billboards available for road safety campaigns now that the elections are over.
According to him, the staggering statistics from roadcrashes in the country have become imperative for political parties to show their commitment in the fight to make the country’s roads safer.
Addressing the first general meeting of the Central House of Chiefs in Cape Coast, the President of the Central Regional House of Chiefs indicated, the country could no longer wait for many lives our roads before to be lost on our roads before action is taken.
They were particularly concerned that fatalities from road accidents in the country remain high and there is the need for all related stakeholders to play a more proactive role to address the issue.
“We will support aggressive road safety campaigns and for that reason, we will appeal to the political parties to make available their billboards for road safety campaigns now that elections are over,” he said.
Odeefuo Amoakwa Boadu VIII in his address promised that the house would play a collaborative role with the relevant stakeholders in their bid to help make the roads safer.
“The Central Regional House of chiefs will be liaising with institutions such as the National Road Safety Authority, Motor Traffic and Transport Department of the Ghana Police Service and other civil society organizations in road safety to make the Central Region safer,” he stated.
Transport Minister, Kwaku Oforiwa Asiamah implored the Regional House of Chiefs across the country to get involved in the fight to make the country’s roads safer.
According to the minister, government through the Ghana Police Service has started rolling out the installation of street cameras on the country’s roads to deal with errant drivers.
“Government has given the police service to go ahead to install street cameras gradually on our roads to put people in check. When the cameras identify that you have passed through the red light, involved in any unnecessary overtaken or committed any road safety infractions, you would be punished,” he noted.
He pleaded with the media to support the police to do their duties when people are arrested for violating the law.
“Our media friends should support us in this endeavour. We need a lot of discipline on our roads. Statistics indicate that out of 10 accidents, the causative factors are human errors,” he noted.
Central Regional Minister, Justina Marigold Assan, told the chiefs, the regional coordinating council was preparing a strategic development policy that would address the needs and aspirations of the people in the region.
