Two institutions launch documentary to educate road users

Accra, Oct. 20. GNA - Mr Justice Amegashie, Chief Executive of Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority, has called on all road users to take road safety issues seriously since it was a shared and collective responsibility.      He said road safety issues required collaborative efforts amongst public institutions, private sector and non-governmental institutions.      Mr Amegashie made the call at the launch of road safety instruction documentary to disseminate information to road users in Accra over the weekend.   The documentary was put up by the Ghana Netherlands Chamber of Commerce and Culture (GHANECC) in partnership with the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU).    He thanked the leadership and members of the Ghana Netherlands Chamber of Commerce and Culture for supporting the initiative.    According to him, the initiative was to introduce an innovative and creative intervention to educate Road users.     He said it was a clear demonstration of the understanding that the nature and scale of the road crash and casualty problem could not be solved by one Agency or Institution alone.     He said everybody was affected in one way or the other whenever a road crash occurs.    “The word responsibility is key to the prevention and reduction of road crashes and casualty on the road,” he added.    He said drivers were responsible for their own safety, the safety of those they carry in their vehicle and other road users.     Mr Nico Van Staalduined, Managing Director of GHANECC, said he has never seen so many professors who are genius, intelligent lawyers, clever businessmen, smart taxi drivers and streets smart ‘trotro’ drivers behaving so “stupid” as in traffic.     He said our behavior in traffic makes you wonder sometimes if we forget all road safety and traffic rules after our examination.     He noted that the basics of improving the safety on the roads lies in education, there should be constant education for drivers on safety.     Mr Staalduined said in the Netherlands, road safety instruction movies have been used to educate the general public for the last 50 years.     He commended the MTTU of the Ghana Police for embracing the idea to donate road safety instruction movies as part of GHANECC’s Corporate Social Responsibility.     “With the assistance of MTTU, GHANECC developed the first road safety movies, starting with the most important, most urgent and majority “killers”: Pedestrians crossing roads,” he added.     He disclosed the movies would be released once every month and called on the media especially the TV stations to air these videos to impact on road users.     DCOP Angwubutoge Awuni, Commander of the MTTU, said the unit believed in proactive enforcement which hinges on education.      He said the initiation was a unique visual approach curving rules and the use of side mirrors, dangerous overtaking and braking would definitely help to reduce the needless death and injuries on the road.     “The Police MTTU is doing her best to improve the competence of its personnel and will welcome any institution willing to support in that   GNA... Read Full Story