The lack of enforcement on the part of the assemblies to direct traders not to ply their wares on walkways has been identified as a major contributor to road accidents in the Metropolis.
According to the Western Regional Head of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Mr. Victor Kojo Bilson, the absence of the authorities to crack the whip on encroachers of walkways is worrying, thus impeding the work of the Authority.
Mr. Bilson said that even though there seems to be a decline in pedestrian knockdowns, there is still a need to have enforcement put in place.
He said pedestrians are forced to compete with motorcycles, cars, and other vehicles for space.
“This is the point where I wish we had someone from the assembly to help us address this issue because it all boils down to enforcement. Have they provided a marketplace for those planning their trade? Again, demand and supply will come into play. But if there’s a market provided for them, why are they not?
What is the assembly doing about it? We talk about EKMA, STMA, and the like. What are they doing about these encroachments? Let’s not forget. We’ve taken over the pedestrian walkway.
We are forcing human beings to compete for space with the Aboboyaa, the Pragyia, the motorcycle, everything. And it’s not a human being that’s going to knock a car down. It’s the other way. So why do we put ourselves in that tight corner? We see places where people open their shops and empty everything onto the sidewalk.
Why don’t you keep them in the shop? All these things are what enforcement issues.”
Mr. Victor Bilson noted that it is time the assemblies put proper measures in place to further reduce pedestrian knockdowns in city centers, adding that pedestrians must observe road safety regulations.
“So if you are not able to properly put systems in place, it makes enforcement very difficult. And let’s not forget, road safety management; the four E’s, everyone has a role to play. The education, the engineering, the enforcement, emergency services.
Because even if there’s a crash now and we want to take someone out of a vehicle, probably in the process of extragating the person, we end up killing him because we don’t know how.
But maybe the person would have survived if emergency services were working. So everyone has a role to play. That’s why we always say road safety is shared and collected.
So if we don’t play our part in the absence of pedestrian crossings and the pelican lights and all that, does it give me the chance to cross in a curve? No. Putting myself in harm’s way. I should also try to protect myself when the need is not there. That is why we don’t subscribe to the driver saying the accident happened because there were no street lights.
So if there were no street lights, why were you driving beyond your vision? Were you being defensive enough? If there are no street lights, were you going to the speed limit? Because it’s 80, you’re also going 80. You know, there are no lights.
If you know you can’t see, well, why don’t you just slow down? There are other things we can do to protect ourselves in the absence of engineering and some of these enforcements that the agencies will have to do. We also have to take responsibility for our actions when we get to the country the road.”
