KUMASI MARKS WORLD DAY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR ROAD TRAFFIC VICTIMS
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) and its road safety partners; Bloomberg Philanthropies and Vital Strategies marked this year’s World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims and also released the2023 Road Safety Report at the Clog sag Hall in Kumasi on Monday 18thNovember, 2024.
Mayor of Kumasi, Hon. Samuel Pyne who led the event indicated that the day is set aside every year to remember the millions of people who have died or suffered serious injuries from road crashes, adding that, this year’s global event highlights the stories of victims whose liveshave been altered due to road traffic crashes, dubbed “that day”.
He said deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes remained a serious public health concern especially in cities like Kumasi where there is underreporting of deaths and injuries due to inadequate information. Hon. Pyne expressed worry that the country is losing a large number of its people to this preventable canker and called for a sustained effort informed by evidence to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries in Kumasi and Ghana as a whole.
Releasing the 2023 Road Safety Report for Kumasi, the Mayor expressed delight that the KMA’s partnership with road safety stakeholders including the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) and the Police MTTD has paid off with a 37% reduction in road crash deaths in Kumasi in 2023.
He indicated that according to the report, pedestrians, motorcyclists, and cyclists accounted for 87% of the reported fatalities in 2023 and assured that the city will ensure a safe, efficient and sustainable mix use of transport types which will include mass public transport to safeguard the safety of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.
He said findings from the road safety report will inform the appropriate interventions by the city authorities in the area of road engineering, police risk factor enforcement, as well as mass media campaigns.
Hon. Samuel Pyne subsequently charged road users to abide by all safety rules as the general elections and Christmas festivities approaches. He cautioned pedestrians to use provided walkways and cross the roads at pedestrian crossings to promote safety as they commute within the city space.
There were other presentations from the Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), Police MTTD, NRSA, DVLA and the Accident and Emergency Unit of KATH.
The Chairman for the event, the Sepaasehene and Deputy Chairman of the Metro Road Advisory Board, Nana Yaw Akuoko applauded the KMA and its road safety partners for the findings and encouraged drivers to stick to speed limits to minimize road crashes and fatalities.
The KMA team later presented an undisclosed amount of money to some victims of road traffic crashes at the Accident and Emergency Unit of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) to support their medical and surgical expenses.