GMA calls for dualisation of roads as over 2,000 die in 2021
The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has called for a road safety audit to inform efforts to reduce motor accidents in the country.
Between January and September this year 2,126 people have died in road crashes, and nearly 11,600 have suffered varying degrees of injury, according to the police MTTD.
Speaking at the 63rd annual conference of the GMA in Sunyani after his election as the new president of the association, Dr Frank Serebour outlined six points that he said could help check the rampant road crashes in Ghana.
They are:
- Dualisation of major highways in Ghana and intermodal transportation
- The conduct of a road safety audit
- Provision of rest stops every 80 to 100km along major highways to manage fatigue
- Automation of traffic enforcement
- Continuous driver training and training of trainers for motorcycle/tricycle riders
- The regulation of commercial road passenger, haulage and transport-related services
“We urge all stakeholders in the road safety sector to work hard to avert more crashes during the Christmas and New Year festivities,” Dr Serebour said.
On illegal mining
Dr Serebour said reclamation of lands destroyed by illegal mining could be a source of jobs for the teeming unemployed youth.
“The degradation of our forest reserves and water bodies by illegal mining activities poses an existential challenge to our present and future generation,” he said.
Dr Serebour called for stronger political will to address illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, adding that the government must ensure an improvement in the licensing regime and resource allocation in the mining sector.
“All hands must be on deck to avert the catastrophe posed by the activities of galamsey operators,” he said.
