Editorial
Let’s be careful on our roads
Road crashes have claimed the lives of many since the year began and the current incessant accidents which occurred on our roads make the situation worrying.
One leaves the house with the hope of returning but unfortunately this becomes a mirage as the person’s life is shortened or is maimed for life through road accident.
Between January and August this year, reports say that Ghana has recorded 1,585 deaths on our roads. This involved 15,459 vehicles, 1,638 pedestrian knockdowns and 9,397 injuries.
These figures were revealed by the Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Mrs May Obiri-Yeboah, who noted that the figures were higher compared to that of last year within the same period. She, however, noted that there had been a reduction in pedestrian knockdowns within the same period.
Although accidents cannot be predetermined, ensuring safety on our roads is key and this must be tackled urgently by involving all stakeholders to play their roles to push forward NRSA’s ‘Arrive Alive’ campaign which aims at zero accidents on our roads.
Precious lives are lost during road crashes and most of these victims are in the productive age. The repercussion is that productivity suffers and this affects families and the nation as a whole.
The negligence on the part of drivers, especially commercial drivers who mostly drive carelessly and ignore speed limits, violation of red lights, coupled with bad nature of roads, rickety vehicles, and worn-out tyres are some of the causes of accidents on our roads.
Notwithstanding that, the NRSA has revealed that most of the accidents occurred on flat and straight roads, meaning speeding and other factors played a major role.
Besides that, wrong overtaking, non-observance of road signs, drinking of alcohol prior to driving and tiredness which leads to sleeping behind the steering wheel are also factors of road accidents.
Most passengers refuse to prompt the driver when he is speeding, and this negligence affects innocent lives.
In fact, some spare drivers are not experienced and this must be discouraged. The transport unions must ensure that commercial drivers are professionals who possess the requisite licence before the person is allowed to drive.
Recently, there was public outcry on the need for pedestrian footbridges at vantage points on some highways but it is sad to note that some pedestrians have neglected the footbridges and zebra crossings, instead they have resorted to crossing major roads amid speeding vehicles at their peril. This must be checked by the law enforcement agencies and the appropriate sanctions meted to offenders to deter others.
The bad roads should be fixed regularly, with major and minor potholes filled to ensure smooth driving. Road contractors should mount speed ramps at vantage points to check speeding in communities.
Unnecessary competition among drivers as to who gets to his destination early should be avoided to prevent accidents. Those who travel on either short or long journeys must set off early and drive within the speed limits in order to get to their destinations safely.
As the election approaches and the end of the year draws nearer, The Spectator entreats all pedestrians and drivers to be disciplined on the road. Motorcyclists who do not wear their helmets should desist from that to save lives.
Award systems should be instituted to give a special package either quarterly or monthly to drivers who drive professionally.
Transport unions should collaborate with some organisations to institute measures that would check the behaviour of commercial drivers and their vehicles and organise refresher courses for drivers to upgrade their skills.
The NRSA should also intensify its road safety campaigns by collaborating with the media to sensitise the public for a positive change in attitudes towards road safety in the country.
All hands must be on deck to ensure zero accidents on our roads. Let’s be careful on our roads.
Dear Editor,
Over the past few months, the ages of some drivers of commercial vehicles continue to baffle me.
This is common during weekends when one boards any of the commercial vehicles – be it trotros and okada.
I remember, I boarded a taxi from the Accra Central area towards the Kwame Nkrumah Circle area. When I sat in the vehicle, I realised the driver was a young boy. Specifically, he said he was 18.
I know our laws do not permit youth under the age of 21 to be driving; that is clearly against Ghana’s Road Traffic laws for operating commercial vehicles.
Some commuters have even had confrontations with station masters over the issue and have refused to board vehicles driven by underage individuals, despite the risk of arriving late for work.
This situation is deeply disturbing because it puts the lives of passengers and other road users at risk.
No matter how skilled such drivers may be, allowing underage persons to operate commercial vehicles is wrong and unlawful. Laws governing road safety are meant to protect lives, and ignoring them only increases the chances of accidents and loss of lives.
I therefore urge the relevant authorities, especially the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, to strictly enforce the age requirements for commercial driving in the country.
Baba
Labadi
The advantages of focusing on girls have been evident over the years. However, current research indicates that the statistics pertaining to boys are still declining.
Approximately 69 percent of boys and 73 percent of girls finish primary school. While Senior High School (SHS) enrollment trends have lately changed, with females significantly outnumbering males (about 110 girls to every 100 boys), Junior High School (JHS) gender parity remains stable, with the Gender Parity Index (GPI) remaining between 1.00 and 1.03.
The Gender Parity Index (GPI) indicates parity between girls and boys.
Although encouraging education for girls is essential for Ghana’s development, the strong emphasis has unintentionally led to inequalities for boys.
Many stakeholders worry that affirmative action and unequal resource distribution put males at risk, which can occasionally lead to increased dropout rates and behavioural issues in specific neighbourhoods.
There has been a lot of discussion among Ghanaian sociologists and educators about the disproportionate support given to girls and how it affects boys.
They claim that the majority of scholarships and special facilities are frequently disproportionately given to girls, which boy child advocates contend makes young men feel ignored or disadvantaged.
Due to these differences, Apostle Professor Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua, Vice Chancellor of Pentecost University, has voiced serious concerns and is pushing for a deliberate discussion about the education and development of boys in order to build stronger families and societies.
The statement was made by Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua during a seminar hosted by the Church of Pentecost Schools Outreach Ministry in Accra on May 16, which is International Day of the Boy Child.
It was organised in association with the Pentecost Men’s Ministry and the Ghana Education Service (GES) under the theme “Flourish and Thrive: Investing and Unleashing Boys for Strong Families and Communities.”
Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua revealed that many young males are vulnerable due to inadequate mentoring, a decline in schooling, negative social media influences, and emotional neglect.
Additionally, he stated that the boy child faced numerous difficulties, including aggression, substance addiction, academic decline, emotional neglect, and the lack of strong role models, as a result of the focus shifting to the girl child.
He worries that since boys are essential to the development of the country, they should not be overlooked in discussions about leadership, education, family stability, and national reform.
The Spectator agrees with Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua and believes that while it is important to train girls, neglecting boys can impede social advancement by causing differences in behaviour and education between young men and women.
“If we don’t make an effort social media will train our children for us. We’re not saying they shouldn’t use social media, but we should help them get the information they need to succeed in life,” he said.
The Spectator believes that the GES would adopt gender-responsive education in order to guarantee that classroom instruction meets the requirements of both boys and girls equally.
Let’s continue to be dedicated to making sure that no child is left behind.
