We need everybody alive

Monday, Ghanaians woke up to the sad news that 26 lives had been claimed in accidents at Okyereko, Buipe in the Northern Region and at Lapaz in Accra.

Our hearts bleed for the country because of the carnage on the roads. The fight against  the canker can only be won through concerted efforts by all stakeholders, such as drivers, pedestrians, transport unions, regulatory bodies, the security agencies and the government.

The Daily Graphic thinks that it is about time we allowed the regulations to bite, so that offenders will think twice before attempting to break the law. Pedestrians also have a responsibility to respect traffic regulations that require them to use the road at authorised places.

On the George Bush Highway in Accra, for instance, pedestrians have decided to cross the road anyhow, regardless of the danger to themselves and the many fatalities on that stretch highway. Frankly speaking, that road has enhanced the beauty of Accra but the fatalities cause pain to the country, families and friends of victims.

The Daily Graphic is worried about reported cases of accidents early in the new year and we think it should not be business as usual but action now to improve safety on our roads.

The NRSC, the police and the transport unions cannot escape blame for the decay on our roads, particularly at a time when the government is spending huge amounts of money to improve our roads.

The transport unions that are supposed to instill discipline in drivers who are members of their unions sometimes encourage unqualified persons to go behind the steering wheel. These so-called "murderers" turn the roads into death traps.

The driving schools cannot also escape blame as they churn out all manner of characters on our roads as drivers, since the training schools have virtually been turned into money-making ventures, instead of platforms for professional training.

There are reports that some policemen are in bed with drivers, for which reason the presence of the police on the roads no longer instill discipline in the motoring public. The drivers know that they can even commit murder and get away with it, provided they are prepared to part with some few cedis to the policemen and women who have mounted road blocks. 

The government too cannot escape blame for its inability to provide the necessary infrastructure to make our roads safe. Pedestrians, for instance, have been complaining about the lack of footbridges on newly constructed roads such as the Tetteh Quarshie-Madina-Adenta road. On the Circle-Achimota-Ofankor road and the George Bush Highway, pedestrians are complaining that footbridges are far apart, causing inconvenience to them.

Whatever the challenges, it is unacceptable to look on while the recklessness of motorists, indiscipline on the part of pedestrians, as well as the selfishness of some security personnel and officials of the transport unions, have turned our roads into death traps.

The Daily Graphic wishes families who have lost relations in the recent spate of road accidents condolence.