RISING DEATHS AMONG PASSENGERS OF BUSES A BIG CHALLENGE

PRESS RELEASE

One of the major road safety challenges in the West African sub-region is the rising deaths among passengers of buses. 

Today Thursday May 8, 2014 is the West African Road Safety Organisation (WARSO) day. May 8, every year has been set aside by WARSO and observed by all West African Countries to celebrate the anniversary of the inauguration of WARSO.

All member countries are expected to mark the WARSO day with activities aimed at improving the knowledge and confidence of bus passengers to demand safety from bus operators and drivers.

WARSO was established 6 years ago today under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) by His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, then President of ECOWAS to among others; promote road safety in west African; Foster partnership and collaboration at the sub-regional level to advance the road safety agenda and to enhance knowledge sharing and harmonization of some national plans of actions within the sub-region;

Over the last six years of existence, WARSO has  harmonized the Use of standard retro-reflective tape by vehicles in West Africa to aid vehicle conspicuity; developed a standard format for road traffic crash data collection; initiated a Regional Vehicle Administration and Information System (RVAIS) project in order to have a uniform vehicle registration system in the Sub-Region and has also introduced the Passenger Manifest to collect information on both drivers and passengers at bus terminals before the start of a journey among others.

The theme for this year’s WARSO day is “Empowering Passengers of buses to improve road safety in West Africa”.

One of the major road safety challenges in the West African sub-region is the rising deaths among passengers of buses. All member countries are expected to mark the WARSO day with activities aimed at improving the knowledge and confidence of bus passengers to demand safety from bus operators and drivers.

The Executive Director of the National Road Safety Commission, Ing.(Mrs.) May Obiri-Yeboah says that, “On the occasion of WARSO day, we in Ghana make a respectful appeal to H.E.  John Mahama, the President of Ghana through the Hon Minister of Transport to advocate for best road safety practices in the west African region as Chairman of Ecowas and to encourage his colleague Heads of States to raise the road safety profile in their countries and also grant WARSO an observer status in Ecowas to help facilitate the development and integration of road safety agenda”

Other activities planned to mark the day in Ghana include the raising of WARSO flags, photo exhibition of passenger related crashes and casualties at some major terminals and passenger empowerment education and promotion of the need for the Passenger manifest.

We wish to appeal and invite the diplomatic community to join in the observation of the WARSO day by reflection on ways to help improve upon the road safety situation in their respective countries so that together we can make road safety better in the West African sub-region.

Thank you.

ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY COMMISSION