Afia Ohemeng
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, Dr. Frederick Kwarteng, the Head of the Accident, Emergency and Orthopaedic Department, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital made the call made.
Until the government implements policies to regulate the use of motorbikes especially for commercial purposes, it should ban their operations to save lives. This is what we want,”
According to Dr. Frederick, this decision has become necessary considering the number of road traffic accidents caused by Okada riders has steadily increased in recent years. The accidents also get worse during the Christmas season.
These accidents are causing the victims to lose various limbs which goes on to impair their wealth and social life.
From December 21, 2019, to January 1, 2020, the Department admitted 79 vehicle accident victims, 58 motorcycle accident victims and one bicycle accident victim.
On January 2, 2020, as at the 1300 hours, the Department had admitted one car accident victim and four motorcycle accident victims.
Dr Kwarteng believes that if law enforcement agencies are unable to enforce traffic regulations, Okada riders should be banned entirely as their accident cases were as a result of recklessness and disrespect for road traffic regulations.
“The traffic light says red and he crosses, speeding and riding recklessly. People use motorbikes in some jurisdictions and even in the North but we don’t hear about such injuries. But in Accra, it is often recorded because they are not being controlled, and even choose to create their own paths through traffic,” he said.
Dr Boateng said from December 22 to 23, 2019, 30 road traffic accident cases were recorded out of which 20 were serious Okada related cases.
Some of the victims had crushed bones, fractures, severe wounds, head injuries and traumas.
As a result of the severity of some of the cases, he said, some of the victims could have their limbs amputated to save their lives if all procedures of treatment were ineffective.
