Ghana - rail accident relatives to be prosecuted
Posted: 11 Aug 2008, 15:02
GHANAIAN RELATIVES TO BE PROSECUTED
Railways Africa
Thursday, 07 August 2008
The Ghana Railway Corporation (GRC) recently reminded the public that rail tracks are restricted areas. Relatives of persons involved in accidents on the line are to be prosecuted, the Daily Graphic (published in Accra) reports.
The GRC quotes from the Railway code of 1950, which describes the rail line as a restricted area and absolves the corporation from any liability. “However,†the Ghanaian Chronicle observes, “recalcitrant people who have put up structures close to the rail lines and also engage in hawking along the tracks have infringed upon these restrictions. These illegal acts have unfortunately led to most of the train accidents that have happened in recent times.
“Much as The Chronicle would not condone with the squatters who have made the areas along the rail lines their homes and market places, we believe the Ghana Railway Company must also be blamed for the mess they find themselves in at the moment.
“It is common knowledge that it is GRC employees who sell out these spaces along the rail tracks to the squatters and also collect tolls from those who hawk along the lines. As a result of these actions and inactions of the GRC employees, it has created the hundreds of wooden, cement and metal structures that dot the entire length of the rail lines.
“The residents of these structures are the same people who traverse the rail lines to access their needs, family and friends, and therefore become vulnerable to the train accidents. It will, therefore, be very unreasonable on the part of the GRC to enforce the Railway code of 1950, to check illegality which is their own creation.
“The Chronicle would rather agree with the statement of Mr. Michael Adjei Anyetei, an Engineer with the GRC, that the Company is considering the fencing of rail lines. This will seem a plausible immediate solution rather than trying to enforce a law that was enacted in 1950.â€
Railways Africa
Thursday, 07 August 2008
The Ghana Railway Corporation (GRC) recently reminded the public that rail tracks are restricted areas. Relatives of persons involved in accidents on the line are to be prosecuted, the Daily Graphic (published in Accra) reports.
The GRC quotes from the Railway code of 1950, which describes the rail line as a restricted area and absolves the corporation from any liability. “However,†the Ghanaian Chronicle observes, “recalcitrant people who have put up structures close to the rail lines and also engage in hawking along the tracks have infringed upon these restrictions. These illegal acts have unfortunately led to most of the train accidents that have happened in recent times.
“Much as The Chronicle would not condone with the squatters who have made the areas along the rail lines their homes and market places, we believe the Ghana Railway Company must also be blamed for the mess they find themselves in at the moment.
“It is common knowledge that it is GRC employees who sell out these spaces along the rail tracks to the squatters and also collect tolls from those who hawk along the lines. As a result of these actions and inactions of the GRC employees, it has created the hundreds of wooden, cement and metal structures that dot the entire length of the rail lines.
“The residents of these structures are the same people who traverse the rail lines to access their needs, family and friends, and therefore become vulnerable to the train accidents. It will, therefore, be very unreasonable on the part of the GRC to enforce the Railway code of 1950, to check illegality which is their own creation.
“The Chronicle would rather agree with the statement of Mr. Michael Adjei Anyetei, an Engineer with the GRC, that the Company is considering the fencing of rail lines. This will seem a plausible immediate solution rather than trying to enforce a law that was enacted in 1950.â€