By Hebrews Pouyeli Kumako
Some Members of Parliament have raised serious concerns about the safety of passengers who rely on the Volta Lake for daily transportation, calling on the Ministry of Transport and the Volta Lakers Transport Company to urgently strengthen safety enforcement on inland waterways.
The concerns follow a tragic boat accident in October 2025, which claimed the lives of 16 people after a vessel capsized on the Volta Lake.
Contributing to a statement on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, the lawmakers stressed the need for immediate reforms to prevent future tragedies.
Parliamentary Proceedings Monitored on JoyNews by News Volta Member of Parliament for Kpandai, Hon. Mathew Nyindam, lamented the poor attention given to commuters who depend on lake transport, especially residents of island and lakeside communities.
“Mr Speaker, the attention we give to these commuters is very poor. Most of the boats operating on the lake are privately owned, but that does not absolve the government of its responsibility. The Ministry of Transport and the Volta Lake Authority must take much more interest in ensuring safety compliance,” he stated.
He further expressed concern over the low usage and availability of life jackets among passengers.
“Many of the people who use the lake do not wear life jackets. Some do not even have access to them at all. The Ministry should come before this House and explain how it intends to support private boat operators to provide life jackets, possibly free of charge, and ensure strict monitoring,” he added.
Supporting the call, the Member of Parliament for Krachi West, Hon. Helen Ntoso, described the October tragedy as a painful reminder of the urgent need to strengthen safety enforcement on the Volta Lake.
“This unfortunate incident should compel us to act decisively. We must ensure that boats are not overloaded, operators are properly trained and licensed, and every passenger wears a life jacket before boarding,” she said.
She appealed to government agencies, corporate bodies, non-governmental organisations, and philanthropists to assist island communities in Krachi West with life jackets, noting that the current supply remains woefully inadequate.
“Many of my constituents rely solely on the lake for transportation, trade, education and healthcare. Providing life jackets will go a long way in saving lives,” she stressed.
The MPs urged the government to go beyond sympathising with victims and families affected by the tragedy and instead take concrete steps to improve regulation, monitoring, enforcement, and safety education across the Volta Lake transport system.
They further called for enhanced supervision of private boat operators and the introduction of stricter penalties for safety violations.
The Volta Lake remains one of Ghana’s most critical transport routes, particularly for remote island communities. However, repeated accidents continue to highlight serious gaps in safety enforcement, prompting renewed calls for urgent reforms.
Source Monitoring Desk ~News Volta
