The fatalities included eight children and 71 males and females.

The region recorded 600 vehicle crashes from January to July this year.

The crashes also injured 1,121 persons.

The Central Regional Director of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Linda Afotey Annan, who gave the briefing at the Central Regional Coordinating Council meeting last Thursday described the figures as alarming.

While the figure was relatively high, she said it was 20 less than the 119 recorded over the same period last year.

Ms Afotey Annan, however, said March, May and July were the most fatal months.

Vehicles involved

She said the crashes involved 943 vehicles including 396 commercial vehicles, 352 private vehicles and 195 motorcycles.

Pedestrian knockdowns also reduced from 147 in 2022 to 111 this year.

A section of the attendees at the meeting

She said according to the Building Road and Research Institute (BRRI), the Potsin, Dominase-Kasoa stretch was an accident hotspot, adding that the authority was working hard to sensitise road users to how they could further reduce the number of road crashes.

She explained that the NRSA had been engaging the communities, drivers and schools through sensitisation on best road practices and collaborating with other relevant stakeholders to ensure enhanced road safety practices.

She further indicated that the NRSA’s Stay Alive campaign would also be intensified to help reduce road crashes.

In her address, the Central Regional Minister, Justina Marigold Assan, said the coordinating council was with all stakeholders to improve the socio-economic well-being of the communities and people.

Rice cultivation

Shifting to productive ventures in the region, Mrs Assan stated that the Korean International Development Agency (KOICA) was supporting the region to upscale its rice production in line with government policy to reduce the importation of rice into the country.

"The Central Region has taken a bold step to spearhead this policy.

The Rice Value Chain Improvement Project for the Central Region has made remarkable progress in supporting our farmers.

It may interest you to note that plans are far advanced to complete the installation of a rice processing plant at Assin Akropong to serve the numerous rice farmers along the Assin enclave.

“We hope to formally launch the Central Rice product from the project by the middle of October to enable the public to appreciate and also benefit from the support from KOICA,” she stated.

She also said that the discovery of Lithium in large quantities in the region, precisely within the Mfantseman area, was good news, saying it was important for them as a council to be fully abreast with the exploration and mining of this rare mineral in the energy and electronics sectors.

She called for discipline on the part of all stakeholders including metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives and for collaborative efforts towards building the region into a prosperous one.