The Metropolitan Chief Executive of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), Hon. Abdul-Mumin Issah, has pointed out that road safety is an integral part of the Assembly’s day-to-day affairs as far as the travelling public is concerned. He noted that the Assembly over the years has been working with all the relevant actors in the roads and transport sector to ensure the safety of motorists in the Metropolis. The MCE made these comments when he inaugurated the Sekondi-Takoradi Road Safety Committee in Sekondi. According to Hon. Issah, section 12 (5) of the National Road Safety Authority Act, 2019 (Act 993) mandates the regional offices of the Authority to collaborate with the Road Safety Unit of the MMDAs to establish road safety committees at the district level. He pointed out that it was in line with the Act that STMA has set up its Metro Road Safety Committee (MRSC) to not only concern itself with running road safety campaigns ahead of events and festivities but also develop a comprehensive work plan to ensure an innocuous environment.

He enumerated the functions of the Committee as providing operational direction, oversight and critical assessment of Road Safety initiatives and activities, promoting the mainstreaming of Road Safety into the MMDA's work plans and budget, identifying and utilising local initiatives and resources for Road Safety programmes and activities as well as offer the opportunity to engage and involve the community in Road Safety ownership and management. For his part, the Metropolitan Co-ordinating Director, Mr. Innocent Haligah, indicated that the team has a representation of all the necessary stakeholders, namely, the DVLA, GPRTU, Ghana Police Service, Traditional Council, Ghana Journalists Association, National Road Safety Authority, Urban Roads as well as the Assembly officials to ensure that road safety is improved in the Metropolis.

He assured the Committee of being resourced with the necessary gadgets to enable them execute their mandate. He reiterated the need to prepare their action plan and start work to produce positive results for the Metropolis. The Regional Head of the National Road Safety Authority, Mr. Victor Kojo Bilson, revealed that STMA needed to set the pace for the other MMDAs in the region to emulate. According to him, the first quarter of 2024 has recorded 201 cases, which in turn had 158 injuries with 53 recorded deaths. He indicated that Oti Region was able to record zero deaths, which to him, was a result of stringent measures put in place by their Road Safety Committees, and therefore expressed the hope that Western Region could record same if the committees across the region begin serious campaigns.

END

---