Steel Works junction area on the Tema- Aflao road has become a path for cattle crossing, yet there are no crossing signs to warn drivers who ply the route.
The chairman of the Tema Motorway branch of the Ghana Road Transport Union of the Ghana Trades Union Congress, Mr. John Teye Awudi, who disclosed this in an interview on Friday, called on the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) to consider erecting cattle crossing signs on the road to prevent accidents.
He mentioned other cattle crossing points along the route as a portion close to the Central University College campus near Dawhenya, a point close to the Bundase Military Camp junction, the crossing close to Ghallywood Film School and another between Tsopoli and Dawa.
He said last year, two vehicles were involved in accidents after they ran into cattle that were crossing the road at the Tema Steel Works Junction and the Bundase Military Camp Junction respectively.
Mr. Awudi also called on the GHA to repair the bumpy section of the Tema- Aflao road near the Bundase Military Camp to avert accidents.
He said even though that portion of the road had caved in for more than four years, no warning sign had been indicated to alert drivers, hence a number of accidents had occurred at the place.
Mr. Awudi appealed to the GHA to consider repairing the 12 km road from Ada junction to Ada Foah, which had devloped several potholes making driving very laborious and dangerous.
The motorway branch has over 300 buses that ply Aflao, Keta, Anloga, Sogakope, Bator, Ada, Ada Foah, Prampram, Ningo, Kpone, Accra, Adenta, Achimota and Nigeria among others.
Interestingly the motorway branch had a low accident rate last year, with only one of their buses involved in a minor accident.
Mr. Awudi explained why they had that enviable record, saying as part of measures to ensure safety on the road they hold monthly meetings during which experts from the Ghana Road Safety Commission, Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority and the Motor Traffic and Transport Department of the Ghana Police Service are invited to educate the drivers on safety and maintenance of their vehicles.
He said “additionally, we test our drivers of alcohol when they come to pay their loading fees before taking off to ensure that they have not taken in the stuff and no one is permitted to pay that on their behalf ”.
Mr. Awudi said if any driver was suspected to have drunk alcohol he would face three months suspension, adding that the branch abhorred excessive speeding and had boldly displayed a speed hymns notice to remind all drivers on the need to drive safely.
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