We Are Fed-Up With Occasional Road Safety Campaigns - DVLA Boss

Mr. Emmanuel Narh, Brong-Ahafo Regional Manager of the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA) says Ghanaians are fed-up with the occasional or seasonal Road safety Campaigns in the country. Mr. Narh has, therefore, called on stakeholders of National Road Safety not to wait till occasions before intensifying their road safety campaigns. �We�ve had enough of the pretense that we are working by waiting till Christmas and Easter before exhibiting our visibility,� Mr. Narh emphasized. He also called on the government to make funding available for road safety education urgently as expected, explaining that road safety education was a daily routine activity and the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) ought to be resourced adequately to carry out these duties all year round. Mr. Narh made the appeal at a meeting of the Regional Committee of the NRSC in Sunyani, made up of representatives from Ghana Education Service, Ghana Police Service, and DVLA, transport unions, various road agencies, the media and Red Cross Society. The meeting was used to brief participants on the launch of Passenger Empowerment programme under the theme; �Passengers, Speak up! Don�t Get killed on the Road�, scheduled to take place on April 23, 2014 in Sunyani. Mr. Narh reiterated that road accidents were still high because education on safety is done only during specific periods; Christmas and Easter festivities, which according to him should not be the case. He said when road safety education is properly done well continuously; people would be in the position to contribute their quota in reducing road crashes. Mr. Agyabeng Mensah Abrampa, Regional Manager of the NRSC said the Passenger Empowerment Campaign Programme was aimed at empowering passengers� interest and knowledge in road safety to enable them to become advocates. Mr. Abrampa disclosed that 84 people died in 322 road accidents reported in the region within the first quarter of the year 2014 as compared to the 152 road accidents which killed 68 people in the previous year. He appealed to stakeholders to support the three-month campaign to help reduce road accidents in the region. The NRSC Regional Manager continued that the objective is to empower bus occupants or passengers to demand safety whilst on board commercial vehicles, that is passengers to advise drivers to minimize their speed, stop wrongful overtaking, be attentive whilst on the road, not to drive under the influence of alcohol and stop driving and rest for 15-30 minutes after driving continuously for 4hours.