Statement: Government must immediately ensure safety on the n 1 highway

The National Executive Council of the Private Universities Students’ Association of Ghana (PUSAG), is with a heavy heart and as a matter of urgency want to charge government to provide safety on the George Walker Bush Highway.

After a year of its inauguration on February 15, 2012, the 14.1 kilometer road has contributed to lots of deaths and casualties to both pedestrian and drivers on the highway, with 43 people killed on it in between February and November, 2012, and also with 12 people killed in between January, 2013 to now.

This is a very important matter of concern that we want the government to immediately act to save the lives of pedestrians, drivers and motorists plying the road. First of all, the construction of such an internationally standard highway in a densely populated area should come along with easy access for pedestrian walkways across each side of the road. This is because, the N 1 highway is so pedestrian unfriendly.

Secondly, the six footbridges on the road are to far apart and far removed from the densely populated area, like Awoshie, Kwashieman and Abeka – Lapaz. Pedestrians from these locations are having huge difficulties crossing the road from one side to the other, and most especially, regarding our students from Pentecost University College and Maranatha University College, who ply the road the attend lectures daily.

On our part as PUSAG, we want to suggest to the Ministry of Roads and Transport and the Ghana Highways Authority to ensure that within the short term, there is a speed limit on drivers and motorists who ply the road to minimise the problem of knockdown passengers and reduce the cause of accidents along the highway. Also, there should be regular police check up of reckless driving by drivers and motorists and enforcing traffic regulation.

Again, government must make funds available to construct as many footbridges along the highway, especially, the densely populated areas. This is because, information reaching us is that, the National Road Safety Commission, in collaboration with some road safety institutions, undertook a safety audit on the highway and made some pertinent recommendations to enhance safety and minimise the flood of accidents and deaths. Until now, their works have been left unattempted, and perhaps, this might be the cause of lack of funding from the government.

PUSAG therefore, want to entreat the Ministry of Roads and Transport and the Ghana Highways Authority to take the immediate steps to upgrade the road to a more safety standard to stop what has become a death trap to our people.