Ghana’s Roads and Transport Committee is sounding the alarm over the country’s escalating road traffic accidents, urging a significant boost in funding for the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA).
The plea came during a familiarization visit to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the NRSA, as part of the Committee’s mission to evaluate key transport institutions.
Hon. Chiwitey Dari Andrew, Vice Chairperson of the Committee and MP for Sawla/Tuna/Kalba highlighted the grim toll of road crashes, which claim more lives than HIV/AIDS.
“We have accidents occurring, and people are dying—more than HIV/AIDS—and yet our attention is elsewhere. We need to pay more attention as a country. If we need to give the NRSA a good budget, we have to push for that as a Committee,” he said.
NRSA’s role in saving lives
While the DVLA ensures vehicles and drivers are licensed, Hon. Chiwitey emphasized that the NRSA is at the forefront of protecting lives. “You license, and we go out, then we carelessly kill people. You can have a brand-new vehicle that is roadworthy, but it can still kill ten people,” he warned, underscoring the need for robust safety measures beyond vehicle inspections.
He also pointed to a lack of grassroots road safety education, advocating for increased use of local radio stations and community committees.
“If we empower local committees with funding and resources to intensify education, we can minimize the accidents we complain about,” Hon. Chiwitey added.
Financial Independence
Committee Chairman Hon. Isaac Adjei-Mensah called for legislative reforms to allow the NRSA to manage revenue from safety inspections directly. “We need to repeal the current law or find a way that the NRSA can get money directly. The current model, where funds go through the Road Fund, ties their hands,” he said.
He proposed a safety levy on vehicle inspections to fund NRSA operations and suggested establishing NRSA offices in every district to enhance oversight. These reforms aim to make the Authority more agile and effective in tackling road safety challenges.
NRSA’s tech-driven solutions
Acting NRSA Director-General Mr. Abraham Amaliba welcomed the Committee’s support, revealing plans for two tech-focused initiatives: Traffictech-GH and Transport Ghana. These programs aim to curb accidents through advanced technology and stricter regulations.
“We are doing some of these things little by little, but we may need to fast-track them because of the serious state of our road safety situation,” Amaliba stated and revealed that a forthcoming Legislative Instrument (LI) will strengthen the NRSA’s mandate, enabling faster implementation of these initiatives.
The Committee vowed to champion reforms to empower the NRSA, ensuring safer roads for all Ghanaians.
By Osumanu Al-Hassan/thenewsbulletin24.com