Tuesday, 18th February, 2025
Hon Jerry Ahmed Shaib
Weija-Gbawe
Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
Mr Speaker, this is a Statement written by me on the impact of pedestrian footbridges and its impact on road safety and failure of road users in effectively utilising pedestrian footbridges in Ghana.
Mr Speaker, with your permission, I rise to address a critical issue that continues to affect road safety in our beloved nation, Ghana, particularly in our urban areas. This issue concerns the provision of pedestrian footbridges, their impact on road safety and the unfortunate failure of some members of the public to make use of this vital infrastructural element.
Mr Speaker, pedestrian footbridges were introduced in Ghana as part of the government's efforts to ensure the safety of pedestrians, particularly in hightraffic areas. These footbridges serve as safe passageways over busy roads, protecting pedestrians from the dangers of crossing busy highways where vehicles travel at high speeds.
Mr Speaker, despite the significant investments made in the construction of these footbridges, we continue to witness a disturbing trend where pedestrians often, for reasons of convenience or impatience, fail to utilise these bridges. This failure to use footbridges not only jeopardizes the safety of individuals but also results in the loss of lives and serious injuries. It is an undeniable fact that Ghana, like many other nations, continues to grapple with alarming statistics regarding pedestrian accidents and this is directly linked to the failure of some citizens to utilise the footbridges provided for their safety.
Mr Speaker, the implications for road safety are dire. Accidents involving pedestrians who attempt to cross the roads at non-designated points often result in fatalities. It is particularly worrying that many of these incidents could have been avoided if pedestrians simply adhered to the safer option of using the footbridges. While government has made significant strides in providing pedestrian footbridges, such as the ones located in major cities like Accra, Kumasi, and Takoradi, the issue of noncompliance continues to undermine the intended safety benefits of these structures. We are very much aware of the notorious ones especially in Kaneshie and Madina.
Mr Speaker, public education campaigns are crucial to changing this behaviour, but it is also important that we look into enforcing the use of these footbridges through more effective means.
Mr Speaker, I propose that we adopt a multi-pronged approach together with the Ministry of Roads and Highways, the National Road Safety Authority, and the Motor Traffic and Transport Directorate of the Ghana Police Service to tackle this issue:
First of all, we need to consider public awareness campaigns. We need to step up public education efforts through mass media, community outreach, and educational programmes in schools. Pedestrians must be made aware of the dangers of jaywalking and the importance of using footbridges for their own safety.
The second is enforcement of road safety regulations. It is critical that we implement stronger enforcement of traffic laws, particularly those related to pedestrian safety. This can include the use of fines for pedestrians who fail to use footbridges and for drivers who disregard pedestrian safety.
The third one is on design and accessibility improvements. We must also ensure that the footbridges are designed and constructed in ways that are accessible to all, including the elderly, persons with disabilities, and children. Adequate lighting and signage should be placed around these structures to encourage their use, especially during the night. We are also very aware that these footbridges have become extensions of markets.
Mr Speaker, my final recommendation is that we also need a collaboration with traffic authorities. We must work closely with the Ghana Police Service and the National Road Safety Authority to monitor pedestrian behaviour and ensure compliance. Traffic wardens or officers under the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and Community Police Assistants should be stationed in high-risk areas to guide and educate pedestrians, particularly during peak hours.
Mr Speaker, we must remember that road safety is a shared responsibility. While the government continues to invest in infrastructure, it is equally important that we all take responsibility for our actions. The failure of pedestrians to use footbridges is not just an individual issue, but a societal one that impacts the well-being of all Ghanaians.
I humbly call on the Minister for Roads and Highways to take a critical look at the ongoing footbridge construction in Tetegu, a town in my Constituency, Weija-Gbawe, to see to its completion and commission for use by pedestrians. The emphasis is again on the words, “unused by pedestrians”. Because we have often times seen pedestrians running across highways without even looking either to their left or right before they do so.
Mr Speaker, we pray that we work together as government, road safety authorities and citizens to ensure that these footbridges, which were designed for our safety, serve their intended purpose. It is only through collective effort that we can reduce the number of avoidable pedestrian accidents and fatalities on our roads. Let us save lives and save everyone. Let us have safety roads and environment.
Mr Speaker, I thank you, for letting me make this Statement.
Hon Francis Asenso-Boakye
Bantama
Mr Speaker, thank you. Mr Speaker, I rise to commend the maker of the Statement, Mr Jerry Ahmed Shaib for these insightful points regarding the issue of footbridges and their impact on road safety in the country.
Mr Speaker, as a former Minister for Roads and Highways, and also a planner, I am acutely aware of the challenges that we face regarding the use of footbridges and pedestrian safety in our country. In fact, pedestrian fatality is one of the main issues associated with road accidents and road deaths in our country. In fact, studies indicate that over 40 per cent of road accidents are associated with pedestrians. It is for this reason that the successive governments, especially the last Administration, and the Ministry of Roads and Highways, emphasised that construction of footbridges become an integral part of the major highways, especially the trunk roads linking major cities in high-volume areas.
Mr Speaker, if you would recall, currently, the Accra-Tema Motorway reconstruction has lots of footbridges as part of the design. On the Kasoa– Winneba Road, there are lots of footbridges. The Adenta–Dodowa, Anwia Nkwanta–Ahenema Kokoben roads are part of many of these trunk roads that are being constructed.
Mr Speaker, just as the maker of the Statement mentioned, the effectiveness of these footbridges and structures are hugely undermined because pedestrians decide not to use these footbridges. Studies have indicated that many pedestrians do not find these footbridges convenient, and as a result, they decide not to use them.
Also, the length of some of the footbridges are too much for them, especially the steepness; therefore, they find a way of avoiding it. Many of these footbridges do not also have lights and security measures. In fact, there are reports of criminal activities along these footbridges; therefore, pedestrians do not find it attractive to patronise and use them.
Mr Speaker, the maker of the Statement went ahead to put across important measures to address these challenges. Among them, of course, is the public education by the National Road Safety Authority, which is important, and also, making sure that the police enforce all laws associated with road safety and the use of these footbridges.
There is one thing that he mentioned, but I dwell on the issue of design, which I will call design optimisation. It is important that we make these footbridges user-friendly, create shorter access points, and also make provision for people with disabilities. When we make it friendly, then it would be attractive for people to use. I also want to re-echo the point made by the maker of the Statement regarding the footbridge at Tetegu. I worked on it when I was a Minister, and I know it is important, but the new Administration should work hard to expedite the process of completion. Indeed, the Government must make sure that it completes all these footbridges that were started by the previous Administration, so that they can ensure enhanced pedestrian safety.
Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I would like to say that while infrastructure development is essential, its success largely depends on public cooperation and adherence to safety measures. Let us all help in protecting the lives of citizens by making sure that we have enhanced safety measures on our roads.
With these few remarks, Mr Speaker, I want to, once again, thank the maker of the Statement.
Hon Issifu Mahmoud
Binduri
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. Let me first and foremost thank my Hon Colleague for bringing this important Statement to this Floor.
Mr Speaker, you would realise that before successive governments would construct a footbridge in any part of our road, there would be that understanding that several people have lost their lives on that part of the road. After the construction of the footbridge, governments will also construct either a strong wall or, in some cases, a kind of wired mesh to support or to protect pedestrians, and to that extent, encourage road users or pedestrians to make good use of the footbridge.
Notwithstanding all this, pedestrians would ignore it and either jump across the walls or find ways and means to cut off the mesh or whatever is put there to prevent them from using the footbridge and still walk across the road at their own peril.
Mr Speaker, the maker of this Statement spoke about jaywalking. It will interest you to note that both our Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 283) and Legislative Instrument (L. I.) 2180 have made it an offence for jaywalking. It appears that our law enforcement agencies do not pay attention to this. If a person slaps somebody, he or she is likely to be detained in police custody or find himself or herself before a law court the next moment. However, this law on jaywalking is very clear and punishable, but if one would care to know, I do not think that, from the time this honourable House made engaging in jaywalking on any part of our street an offence, any person has ever been prosecuted to that effect.
My emphasis on this Statement is that the best way that we can achieve so much, as far as the prevention of deaths on our roads is concerned, is to educate the public and make sure that our security agencies begin to enforce this aspect of our law, that is jaywalking. This can be done by making sure that people are taken to court, and where possible, this House can review the punishment on jaywalking and make it a bit minimal, so that, at least, the more they are able to continuously take them to the law courts and ensure that they are fined, the more it would go a long way to encourage people to use the footbridges. This would then reduce the level of carnage, as far as pedestrians are concerned, on our streets.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to add my voice as far as this subject matter is concerned.
Hon Frank Asiedu Bekoe
Suhum
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity, and I thank the maker of the Statement for bringing this jaywalking menace to the fore. Mr Speaker, in fact, I use the Adenta– Legon Road every day, and it is so sickening.
I remember when these footbridges were not there, citizens from Shiashie, Madina and Adenta organised countless demonstrations that they needed the footbridges. So, it forced Government to construct these footbridges.
Now, these footbridges have been constructed and pedestrians still go back to their old ways. I think that apart from employing education and the security agencies in checking this attitude, our engineers should also look at a way to redesign the footbridges so that certain structures that would prevent pedestrians from jaywalking can be incorporated in the bridges so this jaywalking can be prevented.
I thank you for the opportunity, Mr Speaker.
Hon Sedem Kweku Afenyo
Amasaman
Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
Let me take this opportunity to thank the maker of the Statement. The issue of footbridge when it comes to my Constituency is a major problem. The road construction between Ofankor to Nsawam has a lot of footbridges that are supposed to be constructed. But since December, it looks as if the contractor has abandoned the construction works on that road. There are children who live on one side of the road who happen to attend school on the other side of the road. It has become very difficult. Early in the morning, you see children trying to scale the concrete walls that have been built to divide the road to try and get to school.
Mr Speaker, this is a plea to the sector Minister to try and get in touch with the road contractor who is in charge of the construction of OfankorNsawam road to speed up the work. When it rains, the condition on that road is so bad. And when there is no rain, the issue of dust is a problem. So, we would plead with the sector Minister to try and see this matter as an urgent matter so the contractor can get back on the road and get this thing taken care of.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity.
Hon Vincent Ekow Assafuah
Old Tafo
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Let me congratulate my brother, the Hon Ahmed, for this wonderful Statement on this Floor.
First and foremost, Mr Speaker, let me indicate that there is a legal underpinning as far as the footbridges are concerned and how they are supposed to be used, whether there are also punitive measures, and what have you. If you check the Road Traffic Regulations 2012, (L.I. 2180), it makes it mandatory for pedestrians to use footbridges that have been provided at designated sections of highways to prevent road crashes.
Mr Speaker, it is interesting to note that when one checks the same L.I. 154 (10), it also indicates that failure to use these footbridges amounts to an offense and one is supposed to be punished for that. Until recently, I used to use the Lapaz main road very well. Mr Speaker, the disregard that pedestrians give to some of these rules as far as the footbridges are concerned, is an eyesore. My brother, the Hon Jerry Ahmed, mentioned about four things that we can do to make sure that we can deal with this challenge.
One thing that I want to add is that this challenge would have to be dealt with by the various municipal and district assemblies. They are supposed to be capacitated. They are supposed to take optimum interest in dealing with some of these issues, especially because when there are accidents, normally, the people who have their properties and other things being destroyed are people living in their own communities, people living in their own districts and their municipalities.
And so, if the district assemblies and the municipals do not take keen interest in how some of this public awareness will have to be done, for them to know that failure to obey these laws under the Road Safety Authority can lead to an offence that may be punishable, whether by imprisonment or a fine—In the absence of that, I do not see how we are going to deal with this issue. And so, I am adding to the points that were made by the Hon Jerry Ahmed that the municipal and district assemblies should take keen interest in dealing with this menace.
Mr Speaker, one key thing that I may also want to mention is with respect to design and accessibility improvement. The way these footbridges, or if you like, highways have been designed and constructed in ways that are accessible to all, especially to people who are disabled, is also very key. Because if one checks the one at Lapaz, clearly it is not friendly to persons with disability. So, it becomes very difficult for persons who are living with disability to be able to climb some of these footbridges.
And so, Mr Speaker, without adding much, I want to send a strong signal to the municipal assemblies to take keen interest in dealing with footbridges and the challenges that come with them.
Thank you so much for the opportunity granted me.
Hon Grace Ayensu-Danquah
Essikadu-Ketan
Mr Speaker, thank you for allowing me to make a comment on this Statement on footbridges.
First, I would like to commend the maker of the Statement in bringing up this very important topic. Mr Speaker, when you look at footbridges in Ghana, I think that we need to do public education on jaywalking. But the real issue, I believe, is the design of the footbridges. Oftentimes, the footbridges are not in the right place. They are not in the area where there is heavy traffic. Secondly, they are too complicated. When one looks at the Madina-Adenta footbridge, it is almost as if—
Mr Speaker, I believe I am calling on experts to relook at the design. I am also calling on experts to re-look at the construction, and that is why I am making that specific statement. So, if we re-look at the design, I believe that will make the footbridges less complicated. So that, one, the handicapped people will be able to access these footbridges. Two, that these footbridges will actually be in places where there is heavy traffic, so that people will not be forced to jaywalk.
Mr Speaker, I truly believe that there should be public education on jaywalking. But I also believe that sometimes design can also push attitudinal changes, so we can use the design to change attitudes. That is what I am talking about.
Mr Speaker, I would like to commend the maker of the Statement again, and I would also like to call on the Minister for Roads and Highways to also take look at the Kojokrom Bridge in Essikado-Ketan Constituency. It has been a bridge that has been in existence since the colonial days. It is on a major highway. There is no footpath to that bridge and so there is a lot of accidents on the road. So, I would like to take this unique opportunity to call on the Minister for Roads and Highways to really look at the Kojokrom Bridge and see if we can give them a footpath to prevent the major accidents, morbidity and mortality that is happening on that road.
Thank you again, Mr Speaker, for allowing me to make this comment.
Hon Maxwell Kwame Lukutor
South Tongu
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity. Let me also thank my Colleague, Ahmed Shaib, for the Statement ably made.
First of all, let me say that about the issue of jaywalking, as an engineer, I would not agree that we have not designed footbridges at places where there is heavy traffic. A lot of things go into the design of these structures. People believe that everywhere there is a bus stop, there should be a footbridge. It would be too difficult and too clumsy for us engineers to consider these issues. People also believe that footbridges should be by the bus stop. Sometimes we give space for people to walk a little bit before they can use the footbridges. It is unfortunate that, like my Hon Colleague from Suhum said, there were a lot of demonstrations on this Adenta stretch of road when it was being constructed and there were no footbridges, but as soon as footbridges were constructed, we still saw a lot of people crossing over and being hit by vehicles, resulting in fatalities.
Mr Speaker, I am sure that if we can just take a little bit of our time in considering our lives and the hazards that are associated with this jaywalking, we would be more considerate in the acts we take in crossing the road. It is unfortunate that after investing so much—The maker of the Statement stated in the penultimate paragraph that:
“Mr Speaker, we must remember that road safety is a shared responsibility. While the Government continues to invest in infrastructure, it is equally important that we all take responsibility for our actions.”
It is true that we invest so much in getting these things done. But after it is done, it becomes a home for the destitute and also for hawkers who rather use the footbridges as marketplaces. Sometimes, it discourages people from meandering their way through all these hawkers on the bridges, and it forces them to rather use the roads. So, we have to educate the public to know we have invested so much in the footbridges for their use and comfort.
Mr Speaker, another issue that plagues us is the issue of these okada riders. On the bridges in Sogakope, Sokpoe, Tefle, and all other environs, we have a lot of issues with knockdowns on these bridges. Sometimes because people are hydrophobia or acrophobia, they fear to use the sides of the bridge between the road itself and then the rails. So, sometimes, this also results in vehicular knockdowns of pedestrians. Yes, maybe that bridge is so old that new designs will take cognisance of some of these things and then do them to help.
Mr Speaker, the last issue I want to talk about is the use of the motorway by motorcycles. It is so bad that these days we have to be shuffling between motorbikes and tricycles on the motorway. Meanwhile, Section 98 of the Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683), says that: “no person shall ride a motorcycle or tricycle on the motorway.”
The Regulation 23 of that same Road Traffic Regulations of 2012, L.I.2180, also says that, but it is unfortunate that these days, one would see tricycles loaded with garbage using the motorway. Meanwhile, that is a high-speed highway. So let us educate these people to understand that motorcycles cannot use the motorway. Sometimes, if one tries to educate them, they will ask sarcastically: “Are you not buying fuel? Are we also not buying fuel?” It is not the issue of who buys fuel into his vehicle or his motorbike, but it is about whether one is allowed to use it or not. I am sure that when we continue to educate people on these things, people will come to understand what they can do and what they cannot do, so that we can save a lot of lives.
On this note, I want to appreciate my Hon Colleague, Mr Jerry Ahmed Shaib again for the Statement ably made by him.
I thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to have a bite on this Statement.
Hon Frederick Addy
Suaman
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement made by my Hon Colleague, Mr Jerry Ahmed Shaib.
Mr Speaker, this Statement has come in good faith and as Members of Parliament, we have to take a critical look at this Statement. Pedestrians are not using these footpaths because they think they do not want to go to the extent of climbing it. But what I see is, there are some places that are in need of these footbridges, but they are not getting it. So, what I want to bring on board is, we should engage our security. When they see a pedestrian using the road instead of the footbridge, they have to deal with the person. In a way, we should all come together so that we can manage this issue.
Mr Speaker, on the issue of traffic on the road at times, these are the same people who have been causing that traffic. Instead of them to use the pedestrian bridge, they would rather want to use the road. On the Lapaz issue that my Brother, Hon Member for Tafo mentioned, sometimes when we are using a car by road and we see a pedestrian, instead of the pedestrian to use the bridge, he or she would want to use a shortcut by crossing the road. We have to wait. Although the green light may be on, we have to wait for the pedestrian to cross before we can also pass. So, I want to bring it to the House that, we all have to take a critical look at that so that such a thing will be a thing of the past.
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity.
Hon Abdul-Khaliq Mohammed Sherif
Nanton
Thank you, Mr Speaker. It has been a very long road trying to catch your eye. It looks like Mr Speaker is either looking on the left or on the right, never
in the middle. But I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement made by—
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I am grateful for the opportunity. I would want to associate myself with the Statement made by my Hon Colleague from Weija Gbawe.
Mr Speaker, I want us to look at it this way. It is said, do not cross the Mediterranean Sea; it is dangerous, but we find people crossing it to find greener pastures. It is the same thing we must look at when we are talking about these footbridges. It is very easy for us to say there is a footbridge, so why are people looking for a shortcut? The first thing we must ask ourselves is, how many are the footbridges are there? How accessible are they? As human as we are, we will always find an easy way out. How are the bridges like?
I am crossing over to Mr Speaker. The bridge stands there. I am looking at Mr Speaker and then there is a snake that is moving all around and I am asking myself—Let us be honest with ourselves in this House. Sometimes we see the yellow light and we tell ourselves that we can cross the yellow light quickly. We decide to cross before it turns red. That is the way we must see human beings. So, as engineers, when we are designing things, we must take the sociology and the psyche of the people into consideration. We must understand that these are human beings, and there is no human being who would want to put his or her life at stake to cross a busy road.
Mr Speaker, having said all this, we need to look at the burden such a situation has on our health system. Between January and August of 2024, we had close to 14,000 road traffic accidents. If one looks at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, 60 per cent of the mortalities that were seen in the emergency unit were from road traffic accidents. Out of that 60 per cent, 50 per cent of those were pedestrians. So, we are looking—the burden. One can look at the cost that comes with keeping one patient in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in a day.
Mr Speaker, all I am saying is that let us look at the design of our footbridges and educate the people. If we educate the people and make the designs accessible and better for the people, our people are going to use those footbridges. On this note, I thank you for helping me clear my throat, and I am hoping that you would look towards this street more often.
Mr Speaker, I am from the constituency of your good Friend, Hon Mohammed Hardi Tufeiru, Nanton.
Hon Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah
Manhyia South
Mr Speaker, permit me to commend my Brother, Mr Jerry Shaib, for bringing to the fore such an important matter.
Mr Speaker, considering the investments we make in the construction of footbridges, it therefore necessitates serious education, so that there is no fatality resulting from refusal to use footbridges. So, while commending him and encouraging education, very respectfully, I want to commend the contractor, Cymain, who is constructing the roadlinking CPC in my constituency to Asante Newtown, downtown to be specific, and to encourage him to expedite work on the construction of the bridge linking the two electoral areas.
Mr Speaker, while at it, I also very respectfully, call on the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs to pay attention to the Krofrom market, which has stalled for many years. Because of the delay in the construction of the Krofrom market, it sometimes becomes necessary for people to cross from Krofrom to Moro market. That sometimes results in fatalities because there is no footbridge. It is very necessary that the Krofrom market is completed.
Mr Speaker, as far back as 2004 when the contract was signed, the cost of construction was GH₵15 million. The delay has resulted in the ballooning of the contract price. It is going to cause a lot of loss to the taxpayer. I recognise the effort of my predecessor, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, in pushing for the completion of the Krofrom market. While commending him for the Krofrom market, I want to also commend him for the work he did for the construction of the CPC road.
So, this afternoon, wherever Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh is, I want to commend him and to also invite the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs, very respectfully, to complete the construction of the Krofrom market. Mr Speaker, this is my humble prayer. I thank you for indulging me.
Hon Charles Bawaduah
Bongo
Mr Speaker, I am most grateful for the opportunity to comment on the Statement made by the Hon Member, Mr Jerry Ahmed Shaib.
Mr Speaker, there is no gainsaying the fact that many Ghanaian lives have been lost through accidents caused, particularly at footbridges when pedestrians, instead of using such footbridges, attempt to cross the road under the footbridges. As a country, we have tried many things to stop them. First is the provision of the foot bridge. Second is the promulgation of laws, the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L. I. 2180), which makes it a criminal offense for anybody to attempt to cross where a footbridge is provided, with a punishment of at least, one to seven days imprisonment or a fine.
Mr Speaker, as a country, we have not by any indication demonstrated any seriousness at enforcing those laws; so, since I passed out as a lawyer, I have never heard that anybody has been prosecuted for not using a footbridge where it has been provided. Clearly, it has become one of those laws that we have made to put on the beautiful shelves where they gather dust.
I think the best way to resolve this is to use the engineering bit of it. I believe that the reason most pedestrians find it difficult to use the footbridges is because of the height, and Some also, because of the effort they have to make to climb the footbridge. So, I want to propose that we place more emphasis on underpasses and tunnels.
Mr Speaker, if one goes towards Kasoa and gets to the Kasoa overpass, one would see that there is a tunnel crossing from one side to the old market. Nobody tells a pedestrian to use it, but invariably, almost everybody will use it because it is easier to access effortlessly. One does not need to climb to get there and so, as a country, not only should we talk about pedestrians having a duty to save their own lives, but we also have a duty to protect lives. I want to urge the Ministry of Roads and Highways that the engineers should endeavour, where possible, to let us have the underpasses and the tunnels rather than the foot bridge.
I thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity.
Hon Yakubu Mohammed
Ahafo Ano South East
Mr Speaker, first of all, I want to thank my Brother, Mr Jerry Ahmed Shaib, for such a wonderful Statement, and to also contribute to the Statement he made.
Mr Speaker, first of all, I think the issue of foot bridges and the effect it has on individuals is very paramount. Some of us who are from the rural communities, come to the city, and then we do not even know the importance of these footbridges. So, I suggest that there should be more education to the people. It should not just be on the road signs alone because someone who does not have formal education would not be able to read and understand that he is supposed to cross it this thing standing there. I think if we are able to educate our people through the radio and the television, telling them that these are the number of foot bridges we have, their possible locations, and in case they are using that road at this time, they do not have to use other means to cross, I think it would help to save lives.
And again, I would use this opportunity to make a point on roads that do not really have footbridges. For instance, my Constituency, Ahafo Ano Southeast—The capital is Adugyama which is located along the KumasiSunyani highway, after the road is constructed, there is no speed ramp. We could get up one morning and hear that somebody who was crossing the road had been knocked down by a car. So while we talk about footbridges in the cities, I think that we should be concerned about the speed ramps along the highways.
Recently in Adugyama, when I went during the weekends, I realised that there was an accident involving a former District Chief Executive (DCE), who was knocked down because of the high speed that the drivers use on the road. In my hometown, Abesewa, which happens to be along the main road as well, people keep complaining.
So, Mr Speaker, I would plead with the House and with the Ministry of Roads to look at the speed ramps. We go and they tell us it is a highway, but lives are being lost every day and I think that the lives of these individuals are more important than the speed at which these drivers are made to drive. If we are going to consider the lives, then I think that we should look at the speed ramps so that the lives of these individuals can be saved.
I would like to use this opportunity again to thank my people, the good people of Ahafo Ano Southeast for electing me to represent them in Parliament. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
Hon Tanko Mustapha Amadu
Bia West
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I want to first seek your guidance on Order 93(5) before I proceed to comment on the Statement. Order 93(5) reads that, “a Member may comment on the statement for a period not exceeding five minutes, and the comment shall not provoke debate.” Mr Speaker, my question is, does this Order apply to Leadership or is it only for the Backbenchers?
Mr Second Deputy Speaker: It is applied to every Member of the House, including Leadership.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the guidance. Our Hon Minority Leader, although he is not around, any time he gets the opportunity—
So back to the Statement, Mr Speaker, I want us to look at it in a different direction. All the comments so far are good, but then how often do we see people with meaningful jobs or income get involved in pedestrian accidents? I think the economic hardship that we have in this country is very poor. They want to do things fast all the time “kpakpakpa”. So if we really want to reduce these pedestrian accidents, I think we have to look at that angle. We need to look at that angle to create meaningful jobs for our people because I do not think we have ever heard that a Member of Parliament or maybe a Minister of State is involved in a pedestrian accident. Has it happened before?
The maker of the Statement, Mr Speaker, also mentioned that some are even comfortable selling on some of these footbridges. What is causing this? I do not know. Whoever is selling there wants to make ends meet. So as leaders, we are able to create jobs, good ones that is able to give our people good income. At the end of the day, we can reduce these accidents on our roads. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Hon Emmanuel Drah
Upperwest Akim
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker, I am interested in the engineering and design aspect of our roads and bridges. Not to prolong my comment, I would like to take you to Upper West Akyem where, two weeks ago, we all saw a video of two little boys cross a river from one community to the other on their way to school. It does not mean that there is no existing bridge; there is, but the design is such that two major vehicles, such as tipper trucks and other earthmoving machines cannot find it convenient, at the same time, on that stretch of the road.
Mr Speaker, that is the reason these little ones, in their own wisdom, thought it wise and safer to use the bush road by crossing the Ayensu River to school. This is a bridge that links two major cities such as Oda, Asamankese, Akwatia, Kade, Bodua and others. Even though the Government has taken keen interest in solving the problem, I think I have also started my own investigation, and it is revealing that the existing bridge would need expansion. The engineers are in the House, and they would agree with me that a bridge that is six metres wide would not be all right for two major vehicles to use at the same time.
So, I am just using the opportunity to appeal to the Minister for Roads and Highways that even though the 48 Engineering Regiment team were there to assess the situation, I am sure that if they would do something, it would have to go through the supervision of the Ministry of Roads and Highways. So, I would like to use the opportunity to appeal to the Minister for Road and Highways that constructing a new pedestrian walk for the children to go to school would not be all that necessary, but if the existing bridge is given some facelift, it would solve the problem of children trying to cross the Ayensu River, using a bush road.
On this note, I would like to commend the maker of the Statement; it has come at the right time for me. I also thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity.
Hon George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan
Cape Coast South
Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I would also like to thank the maker of the Statement, Mr Jerry Shaib, for a very important Statement.
Mr Speaker, we have become a country with laws, but some of our citizens do not actually obey the law. We have some pedestrians who basically do not obey the laws of crossing roads or using footbridges, and then we have drivers who do not seem to either know the rules or just decide to flout the rules. Sadly, this results in unnecessary loss of lives. People lose their life in circumstances that they should not have, especially when one is just a pedestrian who lives in a town that is on two sides of the road, and he or she has to cross to do his or her business on the other side.
Mr Speaker, the issue is not only about pedestrian footbridges but also to do with zebra crossings. Sometimes people do not know when to cross, and sometimes, cars do not know when to stop. I have, on countless times, seen vehicles standing right on top of the zebra crossing, and the drivers are wondering why people are crossing. A lot of education is needed in the usage of our roads, in terms of the footbridges that are poorly designed, as others have said. They are poorly designed and placed in wrong places as well.
Mr Speaker, as my Hon Friend said earlier, people go for the easy option. They think about why they have to go that far to cross a road or to use a footbridge when they can just cross here, thinking that they are faster than the cars. Many of them, unfortunately, get involved in being knocked down by the cars. Not only on the issue of footbridges but also to do with what you call speed ramps or humps. Because of the lack of either a footbridge or the foot bridge being too far away, you have instances where a lot of issues have occurred on roads in terms of deaths that the township takes it upon themselves to build their own speed ramps, and these speed ramps are done to no measure.
They are built the way they want to build it; they want it to be as high as a car would not be able to climb, so they can get people to cross easily. That itself causes a lot of accidents, especially in the night. When people are crossing roads that they do not know much about, they will come at a full speed and realise that there is actually a wall, not a speed ramp, before them and get into all forms of accident.
Mr Speaker, we need to work on our design of this pedestrian footbridges and make sure that they are placed at where they should be. These things should be done alongside the construction of some of these roads. Having the roads before somebody, as an afterthought, decides many years later that they should put a foot bridge or put a speed ramp does not help anyone—After many accidents have occurred on that particular road— Or for the citizens or the community to take upon themselves to build their own speed ramps, which itself endangers a lot of lives, is also something that we need to fight against. Mr Speaker, the issue is not about laws. We have a lot of laws in this country, and it is about enforcement of laws.
There are some citizens who do not obey the law, and there is the Government, which is governing the citizens, also not enforcing the law. So, that creates a lawless kind of situation, and in a lawless situation, where things are not planned, accidents are things that would happen—And realise that we have unnecessary and preventable accidents on our roads that add to our road statistics; that is not good for us as a country.
Mr Speaker, I hope that, by Parliament talking about these things and having Members raise this issue, we would create a kind of awareness that we need to be able to educate our people and for the people responsible for road safety to educate our citizens what some of these things mean. One does not really have to be educated to drive on the roads; he or she just needs to understand road signs. One does not have to be an educated to cross a road; the person really needs to know where he or she has to cross the road from.
Mr Speaker, that kind of awareness is what we need because we have people who have not been to school before driving vehicles on our roads, but they are able to navigate their way around town and get back home safely. There are others who are educated, but they are either impatient or are always rushing somewhere before everyone else gets there.
So, it is important that we are discussing this, and I hope it does not end here and become one of the things that we talk about; then eventually, we live another year to have to talk about the same things over and over, and nothing absolutely gets done. Mr Speaker, I think this is a very important Statement made by the Hon Member, and I congratulate him for bringing this important Statement up. I hope that something follows after this.
Mr Speaker, with these few words, I want to thank you very much for these comments.
AskParly