Parliament has expressed worry about the increasing spate of road accidents in the country, particularly on the Accra-Kumasi Highway, that has claimed several lives and maimed many.
The August House has, therefore, called on the Ministry of Roads and Highways, the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), law enforcement agencies and transport unions to immediately strengthen safety protocols and enforce traffic laws without fear or favour to ensure that the country’s roads are no longer death traps.
This follows last Monday’s accident on the Juaso-Nkawkaw stretch on the Accra-Kumasi Highway that claimed the lives of 16 members of the Obogu Saviour Church in the Ashanti Akyem South Municipality in the Ashanti Region.
The MPs expressed condolence to the bereaved families and wished the injured speedy recovery.
The 16 and four others who are currently on admission were said to be returning from a church congress in Koforidua when the accident occurred.
Statistics by the NRSA indicated that over 1,500 lives have been lost on the country’s roads between January and June this year.
The Members of Parliament (MP) expressed the concern on the floor of Parliament yesterday (August 1) following statements presented to the House by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Asante Akyem South, Kwaku Asante-Boateng, and the Independent MP for Asante Akyem North, Ohene Kwame Frimpong.
Statements
Delivering his statement on the floor of the House, the NPP MP for Asante Akyem South called for the restoration of speed humps to reduce speeding and prevent accidents on the Juaso-Nkawkaw stretch, and the widening of the pedestrian stretch to provide a safer environment for pedestrians.
He also suggested the deployment of traffic cameras to monitor and enforce traffic rules and the launching of road campaigns to educate the public on road safety.
Mr Asante-Boateng also proposed the formation of a task force to ensure that these measures were implemented within a timeframe.
The task force would be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the proposed measures and ensuring that they are effective in preventing further accidents.
For his part the Independent MP for Asante Akyem North, Mr Frimpong, called for urgent action to improve road safety on the Accra-Kumasi highway, and stressed the need for comprehensive reforms to address the yawning chasm between legislation and enforcement.
“The cost of deferring reform is fatal,” he said, adding that “When road infrastructure is inadequate, it is the bones of ordinary citizens that fracture.”
He called on the Ministry of Roads and Highways to prioritise and expedite repair works on the Accra-Kumasi highway, particularly on the Ahwedie stretch.
He urged the NRSA and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority to intensify public education and enforce traffic regulations , and stressed the need for improved road infrastructure, including adequate lighting, road markings and signage.
The MP noted that an amount of $1.4 million had been allocated in the 2025 budget for sectional repairs of the Accra-Kumasi Highway, and called for the swift utilisation of the funds to address critical and dangerous portions of the road.
“Every life lost on that highway is a resource stolen from the world of our Republic,” he said, adding that “If this House fails to act with urgency, then we are by omission complicit.”
Contributions
Contributing to the statements, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Sene West in the Bono East Region, Kwame Twumasi Ampofo, and NPP MP for Mpraeso in the Eastern Region, Davies Opoku Ansah, called for a collective action from all stakeholders to curb accidents on the country’s road, especially the Accra-Kumasi Highway
