By Hebrews Pouyeli Kumako
Former Member of Parliament for Ketu South, Albert Kwasi Zigah, has issued an emotional and urgent appeal for sweeping reforms in Ghana’s road transport sector, following what he describes as a “disturbing and heartbreaking escalation” in road accident fatalities across the country.
Speaking in an interview with GhanaNewsOnline and News Volta, Mr. Zigah expressed deep concern over the nearly 3,000 lives lost to road accidents between January and December 2025. He revealed that the situation in early 2026 is already painting a grim picture, with provisional data indicating that over 1,288 crashes on Ghana’s Road but only 457 cases reported January to March where humans lives where lost on our roads, according to NRSA/MTTD. Describing the trend as “painful, unacceptable, and a national emergency.”
Visibly emotional during the interview, the former legislator said the continuous loss of lives on Ghana’s roads is not just statistics but “families broken, children orphaned, and dreams buried.”
Mr. Zigah pointed out that many of the causes of road accidents are preventable and rooted in human behaviour and systemic failures. According to him, safe driving goes beyond technical skills and is heavily influenced by the mental and emotional state of drivers.
He outlined several critical factors contributing to the rising fatalities:
- Family and marital pressures affecting drivers’ concentration
- Daily sales targets imposed by vehicle owners
- Poor vehicle maintenance culture, including faulty brakes and worn-out tyres
- Driver fatigue before and during long journeys
- Abuse of stimulants, medication, and hard drugs
- Reckless speeding due to lack of effective monitoring
“Driving has no fixed methodology,” he stressed, “it depends on the cognitive discipline and responsibility of the driver.”
He also outlined a major Weak Monitoring System concern failure by the key players in the transport ministry , that is , the lack of continuous monitoring of drivers on highways. He noted that the absence of coordinated surveillance between checkpoints allows drivers to engage in dangerous behaviours once they pass initial inspections.
He called for a joint operational monitoring system involving transport unions and government agencies to track driver conduct from departure to destination.
Call for Multi-Stakeholder Action
Mr. Zigah urged the Ministry of Transport and its key agencies—including the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Police, and transport unions such as GPRTU and PROTOA—to work collaboratively to enforce stricter safety measures.
He further appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to establish a specialized road safety task force made up of technical experts who will be stationed at major lorry terminals across the country.
According to him, these officers should conduct:
- Pre-departure driver assessments
- Vehicle roadworthiness checks
- Health and sobriety verification
- Passenger safety briefings
“This is the only way we can drastically reduce these needless deaths,” he emphasized.
Easter Safety Appeal
With the Easter festivities and beyond , Mr. Zigah made a heartfelt appeal to all drivers and transport operators to exercise maximum caution.
“Easter is a time for families to reunite and celebrate life, not to mourn loved ones lost on the road,” he said. “I plead with drivers—reduce speed, stay focused, and value human life.”
A National Wake-Up Call
Mr. Zigah seriously urging all stakeholders—government, transport operators, and the general public—to treat road safety as a shared responsibility.
“This is not politics. This is about saving lives. Ghana cannot continue to lose its people this way,” he said.
The former MP’s passionate call adds to growing national concern over road safety, as Ghana faces yet another year of rising accident-related fatalities.
Source News Volta
