The approximately 49.9 kilometre Winneba-Mankessim stretch of the Accra-Cape Coast Highway is the deadliest road in the Central Region, the Regional Police Command has said.
The police said the quality of the road and the rampant accidents, along the 48-minute drive on the stretch, were mind-boggling due to drivers’ non-adherence to road safety regulations.
That was besides the sustained road safety education by stakeholders, speed checks, and police snap checks at vantage locations.
“Our challenge is that anytime Christmas is approaching, people are hesitant and afraid to travel because of road accidents,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Charles Kofi Adu, the Central Regional Commander, said.
“Our problem in the Central Region has been the stretch between Apam-Mankessim that has become an accident-prone area.”
DCOP Adu said this in a speech read on his behalf at the Central Regional Coordinating Council meeting to take stock of events and strategise for accelerated development.
It was attended by metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives, presiding members and heads of decentralised departments, and agencies, traditional and religious authorities, security agencies and the media.
He, however, assured that the Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) in Cape Coast and Mankessim had intensified patrols to curtail the situation.
The Command has also initiated a road safety management strategy dubbed: “Traffic Check Ghana,” to scale-up road safety education among commuters.
“Police officers will be on duty, particularly along the stretch before, during and after the Christmas festivities to maintain law and order,” he said.
DCOP Adu said the police would focus on deploying personnel to commercial centres and other public places, as well as monitoring state assets.
That was to ensure the safety and security of humans, communities, institutions, marketplaces, commercial centres, beaches, streets, churches, recreational centres, and hospitals, among other areas.
“There will be police physical presence at all the places to deter criminals. We are using foot and mobile patrols day and night,” he said. “The police have made public safety a top priority and will go all out to ensure that people feel safe as they go about their legitimate businesses during the festive season.”
DCOP Emmanuel Teye-Cudjoe, the Central North Regional Commander, described the Assin Fosu area as ‘relatively peaceful’ and urged all to celebrate the festivities with caution.
He said police interventions were effective with public support, bearing in mind that effective crime prevention and detection were anchored on a shared responsibility by the police and the public they served.
“While the police, with the support of the other security agencies, strive to guarantee the safety and security of everyone, it is important to note that personal security is the responsibility of every individual,” DCOP Teye-Cudjoe said.
“Individuals are to be alert and conscious of happenings in their environment and neighbourhood. Neighbours must be one another’s keepers and report every suspicious criminal activity to the police for prompt action.”
For the Central East Command, DCOP Owusu Bempah, the Deputy Commander, said the security myth surrounding Kasoa “as a crime-prone area” had been demystified with strategic security interventions.
Though he said the area had been battling chieftaincy and land guard issues for years, the situation was under control and urged residents to live in peace as the police carried out its routine duties to enhance security.
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