"Fastrack our upgrade to authority status to limit traffic accidents" – Road Safety Commission

General News of Saturday, March 23, 2019

Source: citinewsroom.com

2019-03-23

The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) is calling on the government to speed up processes to give it the status of Authority.

The Commission said that although giant steps have been taken in this direction, the government should not rest on its oars to give it more power to enforce the highway code.

The call comes in the wake of the terrible accidents that occurred Friday in Kintampo and Ekumfi-Dunkwa, which killed about 70 people.

Kwame Kodua Atuahene, NRSC's eyewitness communications officer, lamented the Commission's current lack of power to regulate road safety, urging the government to raise the Commission's compliance with road safety.

"Three months ago, the Cabinet approved the transformation of the Commission into an authority. The law is already in the public ministry. I imagine that in the coming weeks, it will be presented to Parliament for the other processes to take place. It is to say that the government must accelerate this process. They should be willing to help implement some of these interventions. "

"In the past year, security issues have met with some level of resistance. Sometimes, in your attempt to do what is necessary for the public good, this resistance continues to affect your good intentions. It is therefore expected that the government will embrace these ideas beyond its commitment to transform the Commission into an authority. It will be necessary that the will to support the implementation of these measures is also put forward, he stressed.

Many believe that the increase in road accidents in the country is explained by the fact that agencies such as the NRSC do not have sufficient resources.

Since its creation, the National Commission for Road Safety [NRSC], acts in an advisory capacity.

But with the status of Authority, it could now impose penalties for traffic offenses.

The Road Safety Commission is given the status of authority

In 2018, the Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, announced that the Commission should become an authority.

"What the Cabinet has done, it is strengthen the mandate of the National Road Safety Commission. The Cabinet therefore agreed that the National Road Safety Commission should pbad from a commission to an authority with a stronger mandate to enforce institutional offenses. "

The expected upgrade bill was drafted and the minister said, "I am pretty sure the bill will be sent back to the House before the House gets up."

"When it comes to insurance, if the Ministry of Highways and Roads builds a road without marking marks, the Commission can be mandated to intervene and say that we are supposed to set boundaries. Our people are dying and the President believes that we must strengthen all areas of road safety. We pbaded them to an authority. We will ensure that all concerns are resolved, "said Ofori Asiamah.

The National Road Safety Commission of Ghana was created by an Act of Parliament (NRSC Act 567 of 1999).

The law gives the NRSC the mandate to promote, promote and coordinate road safety activities in the country.

The main objective of the National Road Safety Commission is to plan, develop and promote road safety and coordinate road safety policies.