Former president John Dramani Mahama has reacted to an accident which involved a new train government procured from Poland which was undergoing a test run within the Asuogyaman District and a truck abandoned on the Tema-Makanan railway line.
The crash which has generated a heated argument between the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) occurred on Thursday, April 18.
According to the flagbearer of NDC, certain questions need to be asked regarding the test conducted on the railway line and the cause of the accident.
Mr Mahama said, if he was president, He would be asking some serious questions.
He understands that the government should have conducted track inspection before the test was run. Adding that there should be an answer to how long had the vehicle been on the track before the test run?.
“How can you conduct a test run on a new railway line without a track inspection? How long had the vehicle been on the track before the test run? If I were President, I’ll be asking some serious questions.” Former president Mahama wrote.
The Ministry of Railways Development in a statement said the train approached the curve at Km76+100, it encountered a stationary vehicle obstructing the rail track which resulted in the crash.
Following the incident, The Ghana Police Service arrested the track driver.
The police in a statement said “The Ghana Police Service has arrested the driver of a Hyundai truck with registration number GS 9018 – 20 for allegedly causing an accident involving a Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) train on the Tema-Makanan railway line today Thursday 18th April 2024.”
“Police preliminary investigation has established that the suspect driver left the said vehicle unattended on the railway line, leading to a collision with the train. Police investigation into the incident continues.”
Meanwhile, the track driver whose name was given as Abel Dzidotor has been sentenced to a six-month jail term for careless and inconsiderate driving, unauthorized stopping, causing unlawful damage and failing to produce a driver’s license.
Source: Elvisanokyenews.com
