News
Support efforts to make road traffic safe-GRSA
The Ghana Road Safety Authority (GRSA) has held a stakeholders consultation on the draft Legislative Instrument (L.I.) with a call on Ghanaians to support efforts aimed at sanitising the road sector.
The new regulations have become evident as it would provide a framework for the coordination, regulation, implementation and enforcement of road safety regulations and standards.
When passed, the L.I would enable the NRSA to enforce standards, to promote sanity and reduce crashes on the roads.
The L. I would advance realistic enforcement of provisions in the National Road Safety Act, 2019 (Act 993) which established the Authority.
It was attended by personnel from the Motor Traffic and Transport and Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, traditional authorities, transport unions, garages, representatives of the Ghana Highway Authority, representatives from the Ghana Federation for the Disabled as well as the Ghana Red Cross Society.
During a presentation, the Director of Planning and Programmes at the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), David Osarfo Adonten said the nation could not continue to look on for people to flout road safety regulations with impunity.
“We have reached a point in our history where we have to regulate the road transport sector and also that operators in the sector adhere to the established regulations,” he said.
He also said that: “Driving should be seen as a profession and we must ensure that drivers who ply our roads have the requisite professional training to drive on our roads”.
Under the new L.I, he said, every driver must belong to a union and that there would be no floating drivers.
Mr Adonten said the road sector played a crucial role in the socio-economic development of the nation and all efforts must be made to safeguard the sector.
He explained that, the engagement was to bring more ideas to enrich the new L.I before its final submission to parliament.
Mr Adonten indicated that, the safety of people, especially on public transport, needs to be guaranteed and explained that public transport must not be allowed to operate in a disorganised way.
He said, drivers would not be permitted to load at the road side but only within bus terminals and lorry parks.
The planning and programmes director further pointed out that the NRSA would work hard to ensure adherence to standards within the sector as stipulated in the new L.I
He noted that some of the road accidents in the country could be attributed to expired tyres which he said had the potential to cause accidents on the road.
Additionally, Mr Adonten said, vulcanisers would be trained to make them efficient and effective in their work and also certified across the country.
A Director of the Central Regional Coordinating Council, Kingsley Agyei Boahen, who was the chairman for the meeting, urged the all stakeholders to support the NRSA to come out with a comprehensive L.I. that would help streamline activities within the sector.
Source: Ghanaian Times
Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
