Kamis, 01 November 2012

TRANSPORT UNIONS TO BE GIVEN RENEWABLE LICENCE

Story: Zainabu Issah
Local transport unions and organisations will, from next year, be registered and given renewable licences to operate.

The measure is intended to ensure that the entities deliver quality assurance services to passengers.
Commercial drivers will also be required to provide proof of their training prior to the renewal or upgrading of their licences.

The move will provide drivers the opportunity to improve their safety culture and also help build their capacity to respond to the ever-changing risk profiles within the road environment.

In a speech read on his behalf at the Third National Road Safety Awards in Accra yesterday, the Vice-President, Mr Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, expressed concern over the rate of road accidents in the country
The awards, organised under the auspices of the Ministry of Transport and the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), were on the theme; “Consolidating the Decade of Action for Road Safety Through Regional Integration”.

The event was also to mark the opening ceremony of the fourth Annual General Meeting of the West African Road Safety Organisation (WARSO) in Accra.

 Mr Amissah-Arthur said every day road crashes accounted for about 3,200 lives globally and about 1.2 million deaths annually, leaving several millions others incapacitated.

He said in developing countries, road traffic crashes cost about $65 billion each year and in some countries that amount was more than what was received in international aid, thereby consuming as much as two per cent of their Gross National Product (GDP).

Additionally, road crashes at the national level were responsible for about 2,000 deaths annually, with about 60 per cent of the crash victims being between 18 and 55, while 23 per cent were passengers.

The Vice-President expressed the view that commercial drivers needed to improve their knowledge and perceptions about road safety.

He pledged the government’s commitment to reach the goals of the United Nations Decade of Action for road safety by the year 2020, adding that the government would continue to improve the road network in the country.

He also urged the winners to share some of their best practices, experiences and knowledge with their colleagues to collectively improve the general road safety situation in the West African sub-region.

The Minister of Transport, Alhaji Collins Dauda, in his address, said road traffic accidents were reversible if only  all and sundry were able to translate  the passion for road safety into practice.

The President of WARSO, Mr Osita Chidoka, in his remarks, said there was the need for urgent steps and actions within the sub-region to reduce road accidents drastically.

The Executive Director of the NRSC, Ing Noble John Appiah, said the awards this year focused on transport organisations as a demonstration of the need for operators to develop and implement policies which impacted positively on road safety.

“When transport operators institute safety-related operational standards, road users benefit and the image of the industry is enhanced,” he said.

Great Imperial Transport Limited was adjudged the Best Road Safety Commercial Passenger Transport Organisation, while the Progressive Transport Owners Association and Intercity STC Limited were the first and second runners-up, respectively.

Under the Best Road Safety Haulage Organisation Category (Solid Goods), Freight Links Logistics Limited and Global Haulage Company Limited came first and second, respectively.

J K Horgle Transport Limited and J K Ahiadorme Transport came first and second, respectively, in the Best Road Safety Haulage Organisation (Liquid Goods) Category.

Under the Media Category, Mr Geoffery Buta of the Ghanaian Times, Madam Francisca Kakra Forson of Joy Fm and Madam Mavis  Obeng Mensah of GTV won for Print, Radio and TV, respectively.

Certificates of recognition were presented to some print and electronic media houses, some organisations and individuals for their commitment to and promotion of road safety.

They included the Daily Graphic, Multimedia Group Company Limited, TV3,TV Africa,  the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Oman FM, Unique FM, Channel R, the Searchlight and the Daily Dispatch.
Others were Total Ghana Limited, Toyota Ghana Limited, the Finder newspaper, Shell Ghana, Daily Guide and Rev Amankwa Addo, the President of the Association of Driving Schools.

A citation of recognition was also presented to the President, John Dramani Mahama, the Minister of Transport, Mr Collins Dauda and some individuals who have distinquished themselves in promoting road safety in the country.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of J K Horgle and Company Limited,  lauded the initiative of the awards and called on the NRSC to set up rest stops on the major highways for drivers.

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