The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) has tasked transport unions and organisations to put in place speed control mechanisms to check commercial drivers on the highways during the festive season.

Acting Brong-Ahafo Regional Manager of the Commission, Samuel Asiamah, said from January to November this year, 234 people had died through road accidents in the region.

As part of the yuletide, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Office of the NRSC organised a road safety education at Wenchi on road safety regulations and signals.

Acting Brong-Ahafo Regional Manager of the Commission, Samuel Asiamah said preliminary investigations revealed that over-speeding and human error contributed about 90 percent of the road crashes recorded in the period.

It’s an offence not to belong to a union

He pointed out that commercial drivers who did not belong to any transport company or union commit an offence, adding that very soon the commission would collaborate with the police to arrest and prosecute those drivers.

He said though the 1992 constitution guaranteed freedom of association, drivers who failed to join drivers’ associations and unions breached road safety regulations.

The acting Brong-Ahafo Regional NRSC, Samuel Asiamah reminded drivers and all road users that with the onset of the harmattan, the weather would not be favourable for smooth driving, and urged them to always check their tyres and lighting systems before they set off on their journeys.

He also cautioned them against drunk-driving and asked them to be careful on the road and adhere to road signs to avoid accidents.

Wenchi Municipal Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), Inspector Cosmos Bazor, expressed concern about driver indiscipline in the municipality and entreated the commission to sustain the road safety education.

He urged drivers to ensure regular maintenance of their vehicles, and always ensure that passengers wear their seat belts when they board their vehicles.