A member of the Public Accountability Committee of the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE), Dr Charles Kwarteng Asafo-Adjei, has issued a stark warning: Ghana’s roads are teetering on the brink of irreversible danger, demanding immediate and comprehensive emergency action. Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Thursday, August 27th, Dr Asafo-Adjei underscored the GhIE’s assessment that the country’s road safety record has reached a critical point, classifying it as ‘E2’ – a designation signifying near-failure – by the latest infrastructure scorecard. He expressed profound concern over the escalating risk to human life, stating that the issue transcends merely expanding infrastructure and demands a national emergency response. ‘Road safety was graded E2. It means we are at the next stage where, virtually, our roads may be declared unsafe for human use,’ he emphasized. He stressed that the core concern is protecting lives, not solely focusing on the expansion of roadways, and urged policymakers to prioritize a swift and decisive response. Dr Asafo-Adjei revealed a troubling statistic: Ghana currently experiences an average of eight fatalities per day related to road collisions, a figure that, when multiplied by the annual number of accidents, has reached a staggering 2,000 to 3,000 deaths annually. This figure doesn’t account for the many injuries and permanent disabilities suffered by those affected. He further detailed the significant decline in road safety over the past decade, attributing it to a confluence of factors including rising demand for road transport, the persistent deterioration of infrastructure, and inadequate maintenance practices. ‘Our mode of transport in Ghana is essentially road, and anything that affects roads and bridges affects road users,’ Dr Asafo-Adjei asserted. He warned that simply expanding the road network alone would be insufficient; vehicle numbers and transport demand are accelerating at a pace faster than infrastructure development. ‘We may be expanding the infrastructure, but the rate at which vehicles are growing means that demand is growing faster than supply,’ he explained. Dr Asafo-Adjei highlighted the profound impact on hospitals, which are currently under immense pressure due to the increasing number of patients requiring emergency and long-term care following road crashes. He described the situation as a serious concern, stating that the evidence of the impact is readily apparent in the wards. He urged a multi-faceted approach, including improved road maintenance, stricter enforcement of traffic regulations, sustained public education campaigns, and a rigorous regulation of motorcycles and vehicles along high-risk corridors. ‘We need a holistic strategy that addresses the root causes of this crisis,’ Dr Asafo-Adjei concluded. The GhIE is calling for a significant reassessment of road safety strategies, emphasizing the urgent need for a coordinated and long-term plan to safeguard the lives of Ghanaians on the roads.”
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Source: Adom Online
