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Tag: National Road Safety Authority (NRSA)

  • NRSA fines, suspends 7 transport companies for violating registration requirements

    NRSA fines, suspends 7 transport companies for violating registration requirements

    Seven transport companies have found themselves wanting for failing to comply with mandatory registration requirements and regulatory notices under the National Road Safety Regulations 2022 (L.I. 2468).

    The companies Express Transport, AY Transport, Dikyebu Transport, Ghana Express, KEK Transport, Nasara Transport, and V3 Express have had their operations suspended.

    Also, the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has imposed a total administrative penalty of GH₵462,000.00 against these companies.

    Each offending transport company is liable to pay to the Authority a monetary penalty of GH₵6,000 for non-registration and GH₵60,000 for non-compliance with lawful notices within fourteen (14) days. Failure to do so will warrant additional sanctions.

    Director-General of NRSA, Abraham Amaliba, who engaged the media, explained that the grace period for these companies to do the needful expired on March 30, 2025.

    “These companies have chosen the path of non-compliance despite repeated notices, while some thirty (30) others have complied. We hope that this notice is loud enough for other entities yet to comply with the notice to register with the Authority as required by law,” he stated.

    Abraham Amaliba emphasised that the Authority is in an enforcement mode and will not bend the rules for anyone.

    “The task of improving service quality begins with recognising which entities work within our operational space,” he added.

    Two unions -the Commercial Transport Union and the Vigilante Transport Union—have also been sanctioned for not complying with mandatory registration requirements and regulatory notices.

    In February 2024, the National Road Safety Authority began a process to register road transport service providers as part of its mandate to regulate the road transport sector with a special focus on road transport service providers.

    Road transport service providers including transport companies, unions, transport departments of all State Agencies, school bus services, tyre service centres and garages are mandated to register with the Authority as required by law.

    The law mandates all road transport service providers to be registered or risk sanctions from the Authority.

    The National Road Safety Authority is established by an Act of Parliament (Act 993) to develop and promote road safety in the country, to coordinate and to regulate activities, procedures and standards related to road safety and to provide for related matters.

    Meanwhile, the NRSA is set to roll out a new Legislative Instrument (L.I.) that will require all vehicle owners in Ghana to subscribe to a registered towing service or insurance package, as part of renewed efforts to improve road safety.

    Managing Director of the NRSA, Abraham Amaliba, made this known during an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, April 30.

    The initiative, which forms part of a broader legal framework that also includes the formalisation of commercial motorbike (Okada) operations, is aimed at reducing the number of abandoned vehicles on major roads—a growing menace that contributes to heavy traffic congestion and endangers motorists.

    “There is a variant of the towing law that was introduced but was later suspended. The new development will ensure that vehicle owners must subscribe to a towing company or insurance,” Amaliba said. “

    “The earlier one that was introduced had a monopoly concern in the collection of the towing fee, but the new thinking, which will be in the Okada legalisation L.I, will see to it that when the law is passed, every owner must subscribe to the towing company or insurance company so that when your vehicle breaks down, you just call your subscriber to come to your aid.”

    He emphasized that any vehicle owner who fails to comply with the new directive would face penalties.

    “They will require that when you fail to do that, the NRSA will come in and tow the vehicle but you will be surcharged for that. When that is passed, it will reduce the incidents of vehicles breaking down on the roads because as it stands, it appears there is no regulation in that regard,” he explained.

    To ensure fairness and effectiveness, Amaliba noted that only certified towing service providers will be authorized under the new regulation.

    “We will certify some towing services for road users to subscribe to,” he added.

    The proposed legal measure seeks to replace an earlier attempt at implementing a national towing service, which was suspended due to concerns over centralized control and unfair fee structures.

  • Road crash fatalities see 16% decrease in 1st half of 2023

    Road crash fatalities see 16% decrease in 1st half of 2023

    National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) data indicates a noteworthy decline in road crash fatalities during the first half of 2023. Comparing with the same period last year, there were 214 fewer deaths, reflecting a 16% decrease.

    According to the statistics provided by the NSA, most indicators of road crashes witnessed an average reduction of 11%, excluding injuries, which saw a decrease of 2.5%.

    According to a newspaper report by Daily Graphic dated July 13, 2023, the total number of vehicles involved in road crashes dropped from 13,248 in the first half of 2022 to 11,763 this year.

    Additionally, incidents of pedestrian knockdowns decreased from 1,356 last year to 1,205 this year.

    While acknowledging the reduced road crash numbers, the Director-General of the NRSA, David Osafo Adonteng, emphasized the need for collaborative efforts among all stakeholders to further reduce these incidents.

    Adonteng stressed that collective responsibility and a positive attitude from the public are crucial to achieving a significant reduction in road crashes, injuries, and fatalities.

    He expressed appreciation to stakeholders such as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, and the media for their respective roles in law enforcement and public education, which have contributed to the improved road safety situation in the country.

    According to the NRSA boss, his outfit will intensify its existing initiatives, particularly the ‘Stay Alive’ campaign, to address road safety challenges. He urged drivers to prioritize passenger safety by strictly adhering to road traffic regulations and ensuring the proper maintenance of their vehicles.

    Analyzing the statistics further, private vehicles accounted for the largest proportion of vehicles involved in crashes, representing 46 percent. Commercial vehicles followed at 32 percent, while motorcycles had the lowest proportion at 22 percent.

    The data also revealed that the proportions of commercial, private, and motorcycle crashes decreased by 15.02 percent, 7.53 percent, and 6.95 percent, respectively, compared to the same period last year (2022).

    Regarding the regional distribution of crashes and fatalities, the Greater Accra Region recorded the highest number of crashes (2,886) and fatalities (231). The Ashanti Region followed with 1,619 crashes and 194 deaths.

    Although the Eastern Region ranked third in the number of crashes with 711 incidents, it ranked second in terms of fatalities with 196 deaths. The Upper East, Bono East, and Western regions experienced an increase in deaths during the first half of 2023, with percentages of 75 percent, 20.3 percent, and 14.8 percent, respectively, compared to the same period in 2022.

    The Northeast Region remained unchanged, while the remaining regions witnessed decreases in road crash fatalities, with the Oti Region reporting the highest percentage decrease of 60 percent.

  • Road crashes and deaths down by 16% and 11% in first half of 2023 – NRSA

    Road crashes and deaths down by 16% and 11% in first half of 2023 – NRSA

    The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has announced that road crashes and deaths have reduced by 16 per cent and 11 per cent respectively in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year.

    According to the NRSA statistics, 1,086 people died and 7,807 were injured in 6,904 road crashes from January to June this year. This is lower than the 1,300 deaths and 8,007 injuries in 7,687 crashes recorded in the first half of last year.

    The statistics also showed that the number of vehicles involved in road crashes dropped from 13,248 to 11,763, while the number of pedestrians knocked down decreased from 1,356 to 1,205.

    The Director-General of the NRSA, David Osafo Adonteng, told the Daily Graphic that the reduction in the road crash indicators was “great news” but more needed to be done to prevent road carnage.

    He said it would take collective responsibility and positive attitude from all stakeholders and the public to ensure road safety.

    He commended the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service and the media for their roles in law enforcement and public education.

    He said the NRSA would intensify its initiatives, especially the “Stay Alive” campaign, to curb road crashes.

    He urged drivers to obey road traffic regulations and ensure that their vehicles were in good condition. He also advised passengers to speak up against reckless driving.

    Regional breakdown

    The statistics further revealed that private vehicles accounted for 46 per cent of vehicles involved in crashes, followed by commercial vehicles with 32 per cent and motorcycles with 22 per cent.

    All these vehicle types recorded a decrease in their involvement in crashes compared to last year.

    The Greater Accra Region had the highest number of crashes (2,886) and deaths (231), followed by Ashanti Region with 1,619 crashes and 194 deaths.

    The Eastern Region had 711 crashes and 196 deaths, making it third in crashes but second in fatalities.

    The Upper East, Bono East and Western regions recorded increases in deaths by 75 per cent, 20.3 per cent and 14.8 per cent respectively compared to last year.

    The North East Region recorded no change and the rest of the regions recorded decreases, with Oti Region having the highest percentage decrease of 60 per cent.

  • Issues with tyres account for 10% of road crashes in Ghana

    Issues with tyres account for 10% of road crashes in Ghana

    Mr Dennis Yeribu, Principal Manager, Planning and Programmes Directorate of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), says about 10 per cent of all road crashes are linked to poor tyre maintenance.

    He has therefore advised motorists to observe good tyre maintenance practices to ensure safety on the roads.

    Mr Yeribu made the comments on Friday during a “Stay Alive Tyre Safety Campaign,” organised by the NRSA in collaboration with Vulco and supported by the Ghana Police Service.

    As part of the exercise, the team performed tyre assessments of about 500 private vehicles plying the Tema Motorway. They also shared tyre safety and management tips with drivers, gave out tyre inflation coupons and embarked on road safety sensitisation.

    After carrying out tyre checks, the team informed drivers of their tyre health status and provided them with remedies.

    Mr Yeribu said an important component of road safety was the issue of tyres which many road users, unfortunately, paid little attention to.

    He said the Tyre Safety campaign would be replicated in other regions of the country, adding that, soon a similar exercise would be organised for public transport.

    Mr Yeribu said the data gathered from the exercise would inform future policy directives and targeted education programmes on road safety.

    He thanked Vulco and the Police for their assistance and lauded the drivers for their cooperation and availing themselves to receive the education.

    The drivers on the other hand, thanked the NRSA for the exercise and for enriching their knowledge on tyre safety.

    Mr Shakti Shukla, National Retail Manager of Vulco, said his outfit had observed that about 65 per cent to 70 per cent of the vehicles had winter tyres instead of summer tyres which were best suited for Ghana’s weather condition.

    Summer tyres have a dedicated rubber compound that delivers excellent grip and handling on both dry and wet roads in warmer conditions. On the other hand, winter tyres provide outstanding grip on road surfaces covered with snow and ice, as well as wet roads in cold conditions.

    He informed that the standard maximum shelf life of tyres was five years but observed that most tyres were overaged and cracked.

    The shelf life of a tyre is the time between date of manufacture and period of its road worthiness. This applies to the period before the tire is first used—the period when the tire is kept away in the dark from having direct contact with sunlight or rain.

    He advised motorists to purchase tyres that conformed to their vehicle’s Original Equipment (OE), had the correct tyre size, maintain the recommended tyre pressure and check the warranty given by the manufacturer.

    The OE are the parts of a car that were fitted at the factory during manufacturing. Only approved OE tyres are fitted to new cars. OE tyres are developed specifically for each make and model of car.

    He advised drivers not to fit different tyre sizes on the same axis but to only mount the size specified by the manufacturer.

    “To maximize the tire performance, a driver should make an axis rotation every 10,000 kilometres. Drivers should control their tire pressure every 15 days, use manufacturer’s recommended pressure, check the status of valves and place caps on the valves.”

    “Elements that impact negatively on the life of tyres include driving at high speed, taking turns too fast and quick stops. The consequences of unbalancing include tyre damage, irregular wear, loss of traction and stability and lack of comfort,” he said.

  • NRSA calls for collaboration between stakeholders in transport sector to combat road accidents by 2030

    NRSA calls for collaboration between stakeholders in transport sector to combat road accidents by 2030

    The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has urged stakeholders in the transport sector to ramp up efforts in enforcing standards to help achieve its target of reducing road crashes by 50 per cent by 2030.

    The Board Chairman of the NRSA, Jermaine Nkrumah, who made that call, said although there had been modest gains in reducing road crashes, injuries and deaths (CIDs) over the last 15 months, more work needed to be done to make the roads safer.

    In that regard, he stressed the need for the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to strengthen enforcement regimes to ensure that drivers adhere to road traffic regulations.

    He also urged operators of commercial vehicles and motorbike riders to adhere strictly to road traffic regulations to prevent road crashes.

    Stakeholders meeting

      Mr Nkrumah made the call at a meeting with stakeholders in the road sector in Accra on April 20.

    The stakeholders meeting, which was organised by the NRSA in collaboration with CUTS International, brought together key actors in the road sector such as the MTTD of the Ghana Police Service, transport operators such as the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC), Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Metro Mass Transit (MMT), Intercity STC Coaches Limited, Motor Riders Association of Ghana, Road Safety Management Services Limited (RSMSL) and other partners.

    The participants discussed the road safety situation in the country, the status of the Stay Alive road safety campaign, compliance with the road safety operation standards, new strategies for the removal of breakdown vehicles, advocacy for drivers’ blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level and other key issues within the road safety space.

    Reduction in crashes

    For the past 15 months, the NRSA has made modest gains in reducing road CIDs in the country.

    The latest statistics by the NRSA revealed that deaths from road crashes reduced from 734 in the first quarter of last year to 544 within the same period this year.

    The figure represents a 25.9 per cent decline in road crash deaths within the period.

    Additionally, the number of vehicles involved in crashes reduced from 3,932 in 2022 to 3,340 in 2023, representing a decline of 13.1 per cent.

    In terms of injuries, the number reduced from 4,035 in 2022 to 3,697, representing a decline of 8.4 per cent. 

    More work

    Mr Nkrumah noted that while the decline in CIDs between 2022 and 2023 was encouraging, the NRSA and its stakeholders needed to work hard to consolidate the gains made so far.

    “We are happy that we have saved almost 200 lives in the first quarter of 2023 than we did in 2022.

    But we must also be aware that within the same period, 544 families had to organise funerals for their dead; children became orphans, so we cannot be happy with this. Even if one person dies, we should be worried,” he said.

    He stressed the need for the stakeholders to work together “until we record zero deaths”.

    For his part, the Director-General of the NRSA, David Osafo Adonteng, said the authority would deepen collaboration with other stakeholders to reduce carnage on the road.

    While commending other stakeholders such as the MTTD, the DVLA and the transport unions for helping to reduce crashes, he urged them to continue playing their roles well to bring sanity to the roads.

    The West African Regional Director of CUTS International, Appiah Adomako, highlighted the need for the government, through the Ministry of Transport to revise the BAC level downward to conform with global best practices.

    He explained that drink-driving constitutes about 10 per cent of total crashes in the country.

    “Ghana’s BAC level is pegged at 0.08mg/ml. Research shows that at this level, drivers are impaired in terms of their driving ability.

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that countries lower their BAC levels to 0.05mg/ml to save lives and reduce road incidents and crashes,” he said.

    He further called on all road users to be disciplined and adhere to road safety regulations to stay alive and reduce road crashes.

  • NRSA commences investigations to Gomoa Bubuatta accident involving SHS students

    NRSA commences investigations to Gomoa Bubuatta accident involving SHS students

    Investigations into a road accident which occurred at Gomoa Bubuatta junction, in the Central Region, on Monday, April 17, 2023 has begun.

    The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) said its preliminary findings indicate that no fatalities were recorded.

    The NRSA has also reported that all the injured are receiving medical treatment at Winneba.

    “Preliminary investigations into the crash and its aftermath suggest that there were no fatalities recorded and all the injured persons have been transported to Winneba Trauma and Specialist Hospital to receive treatment,” a statement signed by the NRSA said.

    The Authority also indicated that it has begun investigations to better understand the cause(s) of the crash.

    “Further investigations are being conducted to seek explanations and better clarifications into the cause(s) of the crash from the State Transport Corporation (STC) and the driver of the tipper truck,” the statement added.

    Also, the NRSA used the opportunity to calm the nerves of parents of students who were on the STC bus, while urging transport operators to conduct pre-trip inspections on their vehicles ahead of their trips.

    Earlier, GhanaWeb reported that several students had been trapped in an STC bus after a crash on the Accra-Kasoa Road, close to the Gomoa Buduatta Junction.

    According to a news report by UTV, the STC bus, which had several students traveling to Cape Coast, somersaulted after it crashed into a speeding tipper truck that was heading to Kasoa from Winneba.

    According to a UTV reporter, Jacob Kubi, who was speaking from the scene of the crash, even though some of the students had already been rescued by members of the community, a lot of them were still trapped.

    The report also showed the scene of the accident, where both the STC bus and truck could be seen lying on the side of the road.

  • NRSA threatens prosecution against persons who leave broken down vehicles on the road

    NRSA threatens prosecution against persons who leave broken down vehicles on the road

    The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has announced that it will commence a joint exercise with the Ghana Police Service to remove all abandoned vehicles on roads across the country, on Wednesday, April 4, 2023,

    According to the authority, the abandonment of vehicles on roads is an offense under Clause 21 of the Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683) of the 1992 Constitution.

    In a release sighted by GhanaWeb, the NRSA added that owners or caretakers of vehicles abandoned on roads will be liable to a “summary conviction to a fine of not more than two hundred and fifty penalty units or to a term of imprisonment of not less than twelve months or to both”.

    “The Authority announces for the notice of all owners of motor vehicles or trailers that with effect from 5th April 2023, the Authority, will liaise with the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, to compulsorily remove or cause the removal of any broken-down motor vehicle or trailer left on a roadway or in a circumstance that poses danger, or that is likely to cause an accident or injury to any other person using the road, to a safer location and surcharge the owner or person in charge of the motor vehicle or trailer with the cost of removal and storage for immediate payment prior to release of the motor vehicle or trailer to the owner or person in charge in accordance with Regulation 102 (1) and(l0) of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180),” parts of the release read.

    The authority, therefore, urged the public to take the needed steps to remove their abandoned vehicles from the road to avoid losing them or being fined.

  • Central Region: Increase in traffic accidents in 10 months

    Despite the continued national campaign to reduce road deaths, the Central Region experienced a 5.7% increase in road accidents in the last three quarters of this year.

    This year, 875 motor accidents were reported between January and October, compared to 828 during the same period in 2021.

    The total number of vehicles increased by 10.9 percent, from 1,234 to 1,369.

    However, the number of people killed in car accidents decreased slightly from 176 to 163, while the number of people injured increased from 1,169 to 1,260 during the same time period.

    The Regional Head of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Ms Linda Affotey-Annang, confirmed this to the Ghana News Agency in Cape Coast.

    According to her, commercial vehicles recorded a 6.7 per cent dip in the number of crashes from 579 to 535, while private vehicles and motorcycle crashes surged.

    “Road accidents involving private vehicles increased from 430 to 541 and motorcycles also increased from 235 to 293,” she said.

    “Pedestrian knock-downs also increased considerably from 168 to 203, while pedestrian deaths decreased from 176 to 163 and injuries jumped from 1,169 to 1,260,” Mrs Affotey-Annang said.

    Mrs Affotey-Annang attributed the menace to high speed distracted driving, driving tired, wrong overtaking, and inexperienced drivers at the wheels.

    Notwithstanding, she commended the contributions of stakeholders towards preventing road crashes, particularly on the Winneba, Buduburam, Winneba Junction to Mankessim/Cape Coast-Komenda highway, among others.

    Going forward, she encouraged drivers to strictly adhere to all directional signages to ensure safety.

    “Drivers must be cautious on the road and stop engaging in mobile phone conversations or WhatsApp chatting while driving.”

    For pedestrians, she cautioned all to give drivers enough indication of their intention to cross the road, avoid unnecessary obstructions and interference and stay focused when crossing.

    She cautioned against the use of phones while crossing at the designated zebra crossing, footbridges, near intersections, junctions and roundabouts.

    She pledged the Authority’s continuous commitment to sustaining public education to reduce road carnage in the months ahead with the tagline ‘Stop the devil’s work.’

    She said the Authority would help reduce road threats to all users as part of its mandate to ensure safety.

  • Need for continuous traffic education to minimize accidents – Expert

    Statistics from the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) indicate that over 45,000 people died in road accidents between 2000 and 2021 alone in Ghana.

    The general road safety problems identified as the causes of the carnage were indiscipline among road users such as speeding excessively, wrong overtaking, drink-driving, non-adherence to mandatory rest periods, inattentiveness and distraction.

    Others were pedestrians road crossing without due care, passengers not wearing seatbelts, motorcyclists not wearing crash helmets and disrespect to traffic rules, especially at signalized intersections.

    Mr Daniel Wuaku, the Director of Planning and Programmes of the NRSA, made this known to the Ghana News Agency at a two-day workshop on Strategic Communication for Road Safety in Accra as part of efforts to help reduce accidents.

    It was sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety and its international partners Vital Strategies, Johns Hopkins University, World Bank, Global Road Safety Fund, World Health Organisation and the World Resource Institute.

    Mr Wuaku said with the regional distribution of fatalities in Ghana, Greater Accra top the list with 43.1 per cent, followed by Ashanti at 23.5 per cent and Eastern Region at 10.5 per cent.

    He said travel speeds had a major effect on the probability of road traffic crashes and the severity of the injuries.

    The Road Safety Expert said: “When a car knocked you down running on a speed limit of 32 kilometres your chance of survival is 95 per cent but when it was running on a limit of 64 kilometres your survival rate is 15 per cent.”

    Mr Wuaku said, in view of the problems, the NRSA introduced the use of vehicle logbooks targeted at transport operators to help enforce the protocols on maximum driving hours and high speeds.

    Another activity to enforce road regulation is a supply of speed guns to the Motor Transport and Traffic Department of the Police Service to check over-speeding and ongoing dialogue on the speed limiters in commercial vehicles.

    He urged drivers to abide by road safety regulations and desist from acts such as speeding that puts the lives of passengers in danger.

    Mr Osei Kuffour, the Initiative Coordinator for Bloomberg Philanthropies, highlighted some of the achievements when he welcomed the participants such as the launch of the Accra Road Safety Strategy Council, to effectively tackle the menace in the Accra Metropolis.

    Others were donations of several policing items to the Police MTTD Taskforce, road safety enhancement work in several places in Accra and the commissioning of the Tactical Urbanism Project at James Town to curb fatalities.

    Source: GNA