Between January and June 2016, 15 people lost their lives in motorbike accidents within the Techiman Municipality, according to officials from the Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service. This number marks a significant increase compared to the same period in 2015, where 8 motorbike-related fatalities were recorded.
In total, 56 accident cases were reported in the first half of 2016, with 22 deaths, 15 of which were due to motorbike crashes. This is double the number of motorbike-related deaths from the same period the previous year, raising concerns within the MTTD, as stated by ASP Andrews Okonengye, the MTTD boss for Techiman.
ASP Okonengye explained that the MTTD, in partnership with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), had carried out several awareness campaigns early in the year to reduce accidents. While these efforts helped lower the overall number of reported accidents, the target of reducing motorbike deaths to just 7 by year’s end now seems out of reach. The rise in motorbike fatalities, he believes, is largely due to riders’ lack of knowledge on proper bike usage.
On a positive note, ASP Okonengye pointed out that deaths from car accidents have decreased, thanks to ongoing sensitization programs conducted by both the MTTD and DVLA.
