CSOs Network on Road Safety Urge Swift Re-laying of Withdrawn Road Traffic Legislation
The Civil Society (CSO) Network on Road Safety has issued a call for the swift re-laying of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Regulation 2024, following its recent withdrawal by the government in response to public criticism.
The contentious provision, which proposed exempting Members of Parliament and Ministers of State from adhering to regulations governing the use of sirens and speed limits, sparked widespread concern over potential abuses and public safety risks.
While the government’s decision to retract the amendment was met with approval, the CSO Network underscored the importance of the regulation’s other provisions.
These include critical updates to driver licensing and vehicle registration procedures, the introduction of technology to automate the enforcement of traffic laws, and new rules governing the removal of disabled vehicles.
These measures, according to the Network, are deemed essential for curbing the alarming rise in road traffic accidents and fatalities in Ghana.
The Network is therefore pressing for the immediate re-laying of the regulation, with the controversial exemptions excised, to avoid delays that could jeopardize the legislation’s passage before Parliament’s session ends.
With MPs poised to take a break for election campaigning, there is a narrowing window to secure the required 21 sitting days for the regulation to mature and failure to do so could force a costly restart of the legislative process in the new year, wasting both time and momentum.
Moreover, the CSO Network has urged the Ministry of Transport to resolve existing inconsistencies between the Road Traffic Act of 2004 and the Road Traffic Regulation of 2012, specifically concerning the seating of children under five years in the front seat of vehicles.
The Network has also called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, and other key stakeholders—including the Ministry of Transport, the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA)—to prioritize the re-laying of the regulation.
They have suggested that, if parliamentary procedures permit, the re-laying should be expedited under Parliament’s certificate of urgency to ensure public safety and avoid the protracted process of starting anew in 2025.
The CSO Network contends that a swift amendment of the regulation would not only be a significant achievement for the government but also reinforce Ghana’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly the target of halving global road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.
