New train accident needs to be thoroughly probed – Ayeh-Paye

Samuel Ayeh-Paye, the former Member of Parliament for Ayensuano, has called for a thorough investigation into the recent train accident, stating that the sentencing of the driver involved is not sufficient to close the case.

Ayeh-Paye highlighted the need for accountability from various stakeholders, including the railway development authority and the Ghana Railway Company Limited.

His comment comes in the wake of the newly imported train which was involved in an accident during a test run on the Tema-Makapadan railway line.

The driver of the truck at the centre of the incident has been sentenced by the Juapong District Court to six months in prison.

However, the former Ayensuano MP stated that the sentencing of the driver must not end investigations. To him, the respective stakeholders in the railway sector must come out with answers to the situation.

“Sentencing the driver to 6 months in prison shouldn’t end there. There must be a proper investigation to find out what happened. There are other stakeholders; the railway development authority, who have some questions to answer because they are the regulatory body.

“We have the Ghana Railway Company Limited as well on why they were not able to do proper surveillance. There’s an obstacle on the lines before the train was moved on the line we have to find out, that is the first question…So, for me, I think we shouldn’t end there. Nobody should sit to say that once the driver has been sentenced, it ends it.

“Also, if you look at the pictures we’ve seen so far, you ask yourself, it looks as if somebody just picked the truck and dumped it in the middle of the track. Because you can see weeds behind it and in front of it, so when it came people were saying that it was photoshopped…you see how it was positioned, the middle [part] of the truck was positioned on the line. So, for me, we should not end it here. We must do a proper investigation,” he said.