NRSA OPENS DISTRICT OFFICES TO COMBAT RISING TRICYCLE FATALITIES IN NORTHERN REGION
Data from the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) reveals that motorbikes and tricycles now account for nearly half of Ghana’s annual road fatalities, prompting an urgent operational decentralisation across the Northern Region to curb the menace.
Out of approximately 1,703 road crash fatalities recorded nationally each year, motorcycles and tricycles (popularly known as Yellow-Yellow and Motor King) account for roughly 829 deaths.
Mr. Alexander Ayatah, representative of the NRSA’s Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate, disclosed these figures during an official briefing with the Northern Regional Coordinating Council (NRCC) on Tuesday.
To tackle the surge in local crashes caused by reckless riding, speeding, overloading, and non-compliance with traffic regulations, Mr. Ayatah announced that the Authority has established fully functional offices at the district level.
This move aims to bring targeted public education and enforcement monitoring directly to the local community level.
”Road safety requires collective responsibility from drivers, riders, law enforcement agencies, traditional authorities, and local government structures,” Mr. Ayatah stated, emphasizing that effective enforcement must complement public outreach.
He further called on security officers and public officials to lead by example by consistently wearing crash helmets, noting that uniformed personnel serve as crucial role models for public road behavior.
Receiving the delegation on behalf of the Northern Regional Minister, the Acting Chief Director of the NRCC, Mr. Sumaila Ewuntomah Abudu, assured the NRSA of the Council’s readiness to support its expanded district-level interventions.
”Road transportation remains an essential driver of the socio-economic development of our region,” Mr. Abudu remarked, underscoring the need for continuous multi-stakeholder engagement.
Echoing these commitments, the Director of Administration at the NRCC, Mr. Abdul Rahaman Ahmed Baba, highlighted that strict law enforcement is non-negotiable if regulations are to yield tangible safety results.
He reaffirmed the NRCC’s dedication to coordinating with Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs), the Ghana Police Service, and local road safety committees to enforce compliance and significantly reduce avoidable deaths on Northern roads.
Bala Ali & Salifu Yakubu Abdulai, ISD
