Re-design Tanoso-Techiman highway to control crashes and fatalities – Residents appeal

Aggrieved residents of Tanoso, a farming community along the Kumasi-Techiman highway in the Offinso North District of Ashanti Region have appealed to government to re-design portions of the road to control crashes and fatalities on it.

They said the Tanoso-Techiman road required an overhead, a climbing lane, two separate toll booths and six speed tables, appealing that it must be diverted from the Tanoso Township in the long term to stem uncontrolled vehicular knockdowns and crashes.

Interacting with Engineer Mrs. May Obiri Yeboah, the Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), the residents observed over-speeding and wrongful over-taking were the major factors contributing to road accidents and fatalities in the area.

Mrs. Yeboah assured the people her office would collaborate with the relevant institutions to find immediate solutions to address the problem.

She said pedestrian knockdowns were recording alarming figures in the country and directed the regional offices of the NRSA to intensify road safety education particularly in communities along the highways.

Mrs. Yeboah expressed regret that road accidents killed more than 2,000 people every year and called for concerted efforts to stem the crashes.

She indicated that ensuring safety and sanity on the road remained a shared and collective responsibility, and implored every Ghanaian to contribute to that cause.

Mrs. Yeboah explained the Authority intended to strengthen its passenger empowerment programme this year, and urged passengers to check drivers against over-speeding and careless driving.

Mr. Samuel Yaw Yeboah, the Assemblyman for Tanoso Bongroso Electoral Area said the Kumasi-Tanoso road was a major highway and therefore it's redesigning was very important.

He explained a lot of large trucks plied on the stretch and because the Tanoso township is located within a valley, accidents on the highway kept surging.

The Assemblyman observed that Burkinabe drivers who plied the highway were not conversant with the road and were contributing to the rate of accidents.

Mr. Kwasi Agyenim Boateng, the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional Head of the NRSA pleaded with the residents to exercise restraint as the Authority collaborate with the Ghana Highway Authority to identify solutions to the problems on the highway.