The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) in Partnership with the National Insurance Commission (NIC) has sensitized Cambuu (Tricycle) drivers in Wa on the need to observe road safety regulations in order to help prevent rampant road crashes recorded in the region.
In a presentation, Mr Abdul Fatawu Sidik of the NRSA, noted that from January to September 2022, a total of 72 road crushes with 32 deaths and 123 injuries involving tricycles were recorded.
He said wrongful overtaking, use of unapproved lambs, overloading, non-observance of road signs, and drunk driving are some issues that lead to road accidents.
Mr Obed Gyammera Antwi, the Upper West Regional Planning Manager of the NRSA, indicated that as part of efforts of the authority to curb the menace of road crashes, they had intensified road safety sensitisation, as well as engaging the necessary stakeholders and institutions to ensure the Cambuu drives did the right thing on the road.
“We have intensified road safety educational activities on blackspot roads in the region. We are collaborating with MTTD and DVLA to clamp down on the use of unapproved lambs and we are also collaborating with Wa municipal Assembly to clamp down on unauthorized stations and wrongful parking.
“We are also collaborating with the traditional council to intensify adherence to road safety regulations,” Mr Antwi explained.
On his part, Mr Kwame Owusu Abrokwa, the Upper West Regional Head of the NRSA, cautioned the Cambuu operators against resorting to hard drugs and energy drinks with the perception that it would keep them active in their operation and said it could lead to accidents.
Mr Ishaq Bakuri, the Upper West Regional Commander of the Narcotics Control Commission, reiterated the need for the Cambuu drivers to desist from hard drugs and said those drugs stimulated the drivers to over speed and flout road signs and road regulations thereby putting the lives of other road users at risk.
Mr Frederick Boakye-Yiadom, the Upper West Regional Assistant Manager of the National Insurance Commission (NIC) has urged tricycle (Cambuu) owners and operators to insure their tricycles to help protect the lives of passengers and other road users.
He said third-party motor insurance was compulsory by law in Ghana and that refusal of the tricycle operators to ensure their tricycles was against the law.
Pognaa Amamata Mumuni, Duori Pognaa, of the Wala Traditional Council, advised the cambuu drivers against the act that could lead them to be in conflict with the law and said: “If you do anything and you are arrested, Wa Naa said I should tell you not to come to him to beg.”
Pognaa Mumuni, who was also the Wa Municipal Girl Child Coordinator, expressed worry about some people using the tricycle to carry school girls to the forest to rap.
She observed that almost all pregnancy cases recorded among the school girls were linked to Cambuu drivers as being the perpetrators and added that some school girls were also abducted and camped by the Cambuu drivers which were affecting the education of girls in the municipality.
Some of the Cambuu drivers raised concerns about what they described as harassment extortions of Cambuu drivers by some police officers on the road.
In view of this, the police advised the Cambuu drivers to report such police personnel for the necessary action to be taken.
Other stakeholders at the sensitization programme were the Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) who stressed the need for the tricycle operators to register their machines with the DVLA before operating.