Former President John Dramani Mahama has attributed Tuesday’s dawn accident at Kyekyewere which claimed the lives of 14 people with several others injured to wrongful over taking on single-carriage roads.
The accident occurred at Kyekyewere near Suhum in the Eastern Region on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 involving a DAF cargo truck believed to be heading towards Burkina Faso and two other passenger buses bound for Accra.
The Suhum District Police has confirmed that 14 people including a nine-year-old have lost their lives with over 50 others sustaining various degrees of injuries.
According to eyewitnesses’ accounts, the DAF cargo truck veered off its lane running into other two buses loaded with passengers from Kumasi to Accra. The two other buses – intercity STC bus and a KIA mini bus – in their attempt to swerve the truck crashed leading to loss of lives and several injuries
The police has arrested the driver of the cargo truck and he is assisting them with investigation. The police also disclosed that 20 of the victims with minor injuries were treated and discharged.
Reacting to the unfortunate incident at the NDC 2020 manifesto Town Hall Meeting held in Kumasi on Tuesday, September 15, 2020, former President Mahama who is the flagbearer of the NDC said many of the accident occurrences including the latest accident can be attributed to the single-carriage road system of major roads in the country. He said an accident is likely to occur if there is a wrongful overtaking on such roads.
Mr. Mahama believes the construction of dual-carriage roads in the country will ensure significant reduction in the number of accidents on roads. He has therefore pledged to dualize all roads in the country through the $10 billion accelerated infrastructural plan promised by the party to reduce such accidents if he is elected in the General Elections.
“I have learnt that there was an accident this morning that claimed 14 people’s lives. If you look at our roads, they are single-carriage. It is as a result of wrongful overtaking on such roads. If it is double road, all the cars will be in their respective lanes. It will reduce the carnage on roads. We will expend part of the money on roads. Accra – Aflao road, Accra – Kumasi road, all other roads and highways in the country, we will make them dual-carriage roads,” he said.
