The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) in the Eastern Region has engaged pastors and elders within the Kwahu West municipality on the ‘Stay Alive’ campaign.
This is to help reduce road accidents before,during and after the Christmas and New Year festivities.
According to the Authority, the motive behind the exercise is to get the information through them to their church members.
At Nkawkaw Pentecost Adoagyire Central, the Eastern Regional Head of National Road Safety Authority, Dennis Yeribu, said the seizing of fake lamps had not been halted but the exercise was still ongoing.
According to him, there are two major contributing factors causing road accidents, overtaking and careless motor riding.
He said that the reason they decided to engage churches in this campaign is that, churches possess a large number of people that would make it easy to disseminate their information.
He noted that there are other divisions that are engaging drivers, motor riders, passengers, and pedestrians as well.
“Our engagement with churches will continue from now to next year and beyond.
“We have now gotten space from the Kwahu West assembly so we are now trying to establish and equip it. We are aiming that, by next year the office will be fully established and begin its operation proper,” he added.
Speaking on mandatory training for drivers, he said the NRSA has partnered with DVLA, MTTD, others to ensure mandatory fresher training, especially the commercial bus drivers of which they have agreed through their various groups.
The commencement of the programme was to start in November but due to a few challenges they had to postpone it but it will begin next year.
According to him, the motive behind the training is to help drivers learn and adapt to new things as it comes.
Concurrently, he said they will engage owners of long journey vehicles to have two drivers per bus and pay them salaries to help reduce overspeeding and accidents.
Mr Yeribu appealed for support from co-operate bodies to assist them with equipment.
Some of the participants applauded the move by the NRSA, saying, they appealed to the authority to engage drivers more by way of educating them on road signs as well.