Editor of NewsScenta Newspaper, Elvis Darko
The Editor of NewsScenta Newspaper, Elvis Darko, has stated that motor riders are responsible for more than 40 percent of all road accident fatalities in the country.
In an interview on Channel One TV and monitored by GhanaWeb on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, he stated that the illegal commercial motor riding business continues to thrive while authorities remain seemingly unconcerned.
He said for close to 5 years, motor riders have significantly contributed to the road crashes in the country.
“If you look at the statistics, for close to 5 or 6 years, motorbikes have been responsible for at least 40 percent of all road accident fatalities.
“Look at the scenario here; motorcycles carry a minimum of three people, so their occupancy is very low. Look at the death rate compared to those that carry a lot of people. It means motorcycles alone are killing more people in this country, and we don’t know if they want to regularise it, train them, or ban them; we don’t know,” he added.
He blamed political actors in the country for allowing the motor-riding business to thrive.
“The law still says it is illegal. But for political reasons, we have allowed them to work. The police now say stop when the traffic light is red; obey the law. Nobody is asking them how you are certified to ride a motorbike to carry people for money. Nobody is talking about it,” he explained.
He stressed the need for urgent measures to address what he described as an epidemic affecting road safety in the country.
“It is an epidemic that we have closed our eyes to. I think we must rise up and do something about it,” he noted.
JKB/AE
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