Owing to the daily escalating accident figures in Ghana, concerned bodies are collaborating to carry out a national towing project, aimed at removing all abandoned and broken down vehicles from the roads in all parts of the country.
Reports reveal that a private company, the Road Safety Management Services Limited (RSMSL), has been given a go ahead to carry out a national towing project in Ghana. The RSMSL is collaborating with the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the Ghana Police Service (GPS), to carry out the project. The national towing project is aimed at removing all abandoned and broken down vehicles that may/can cause acidents on the roads across the country.
According to the Operations Manager of the RSMSL, Engr. Kwadwo Osei, the towing project will begin in earnest on the 1st of May, 2017. But it will be preceded by a pilot phase which commenced on the 1st of April. Engr. Osei disclosed that the service will be free throughout the pilot phase which will run from 1st April to 1st May.
The piloting is for the month of April which is free. During this period we will be stationed on Tema motorway and its adjourning routes as well as Tetteh Quarshie roundabout, we will also position trucks at all these places. We will cover Mallam to Kosoa stretch; tow trucks will also be positioned at Amasaman, Suhum Bonsu junction and all the way the Ashanti Region (Konongo Odumasi), he pointed out.
Engr. Osei indicated that via the project, tow trucks, ambulances, motorbikes and the required personnel will be deployed to ensure that every spoilt vehicle is towed out of the road in a maximum of two hours from the time it broke down. He disclosed that about 100 towing trucks are in readiness to be deployed to all regions of the country for the purpose.
Also speaking on the issue, the Communications Manager of RSMSL, Mr Roland Walker, said that 22 per cent of deaths recorded through road accidents in Ghana, were as a result of broken-down or disabled vehicles. He recalled how former Member of Parliament for Akwatia, Dr Kofi Asare, lost his life when he ran his vehicle into a broken-down vehicle along the Nkwakaw road early this year.
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Mr. Walker further stated that the modalities of the project, would be disclosed to the public at the official launch of the towing project in May.
Attempts were made back in 2013, to carry out this national towing project, but disputes between the RSMSL and the NRSC made it not to materialise at that time. But assured that the project won’t fail this time, as strong agreements have been reached by the concerned bodies, with all the possible hitches removed out of the way.
The rate of accidents on Ghana’s roads has continued to increase on a daily basis. Records from the Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service reveal that a total of 2,890 accidents have occurred across the country in the first three months of 2017, that is, from January to March. The figure according to the records, is higher than that of 2016 with 50 accidents, since 2840 were recorded over the same period last year. In all, about 436 deaths and 2,523 injuries were recorded.
To curb this high rate of accidents, government has revealed plans to introduce dedicated traffic cameras for surveilance on the country’s roads, in order to monitor and sanction disobedience to traffic rules which result to accidents. Some other plans and safety measures are also being put in place to minimize, as well as forestall accidents, especially, the avoidable ones.
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