The Legislative Instrument (LI) was withdrawn following public backlash and subsequently reintroduced.

However, the reintroduction excluded provisions that would have allowed MPs, the Speaker of Parliament, and the Chief Justice to use sirens and bypass speed limits.

But the lawmakers have voiced concerns over the removal of particularly, the Chief Justice and the Speaker of Parliament.

According to Tamale South Member of Parliament and former Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, such high personalities must retain the privilege of using a motorcade and sirens.

“If the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament is not entitled to a motorcade or police accompaniment, in my view, it is wrong. The Chief Justice of Ghana has also been excluded from the regulation.

“We can remove ministers and MPs from this provision, but the republic has four key personalities: the President, Vice President, Speaker, and Chief Justice. If I had my way, this LI would be reconsidered because leaving the Speaker and Chief Justice out of this privilege is inappropriate, he stated.

Mr Iddrisu added that, the regulation take into consideration extraordinary circumstances, emphasising the need for seamless leadership during crises.

“Colleagues, when you consider an ordinary day, also think about an extraordinary day. In the event of a crisis in Ghana, we cannot afford a vacuum in our leadership. Therefore, laying an instrument before the House that denies the Speaker and Chief Justice the right to a motorcade and siren is untenable and wrong,” he urged.

Source: Ohene Amponsah

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He noted that it is during the festive period that more people travel, while drivers cash in to make more profit through speeding, overloading and reckless driving.

“I want to remind all road users, especially commercial drivers, of the need to be cautious on the road and strictly observe road traffic rules and regulations to avoid accidents during and after the festivities,” he added.

Speaking to JoyNews at Wenchi, Mr Denteh expressed worry over the number of accident victims who are brought to the Orthopaedic Unit with various degrees of fracture, twist and joint dislocation.

He said due to the merrymaking during the festive period, many motorists consume alcoholic beverages, resulting in speeding and wrongful overtaking.

“Alcohol and driving are never compatible and leads to destruction, so drivers and motorbike riders shouldn’t be intoxicated before driving.

 “The thing is if you drink, do not drive, if you drive, do not drink,” he stressed.   

Mr Denteh said, “There is a new practice where motorbike riders push their mobile phones into the crash helmet on the chin to keep conversing over the phone while riding, but this is very dangerous”.

He urged motorbike riders to be extra careful on the roads and use crash helmets to escape head injuries or even death during accidents.

He further stressed the importance of road signs and implored road users to let it be their priority, adding without knowledge of road signs, one cannot call him or herself a good driver.

He said road safety is a shared responsibility, calling on all stakeholders to play their roles to prevent the carnage on the roads in the country.

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