Government will be enforcing an annual mandatory refresher training in driving and road safety for commercial drivers.
The exercise will be undertaken prior to the drivers renewing their driving licences in accordance with Road Traffic Regulations.
It will be spearheaded by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) in collaboration with the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) and the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service.
Regulations 33 and 125 of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180) enjoins commercial vehicle drivers to attend a mandatory refresher course in driving and road safety prior to renewing of their driving licences.
Minister for Transport Kwaku Ofori Asiamah who announced this indicated that Government will also implement the installation of speed limiters and tachographs on commercial vehicles with gross weight of 3.5 metric tons and above as prescribed in Regulation 135 of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012, L.I. 2180.
He was speaking to at the launch of Ehyen Transport Service held at the University of Professional Studies on Wednesday.
Mr Ofori Asiamah said government will also intensify the enforcement of regulations on travel speeds, wearing of seatbelts and crash helmets, Pedestrian Jay-walking among others.
According to him, the policy directives and measures were spurred by the rising traffic fatalities and injuries in the country and “are meant to reverse the rising trend of road traffic fatalities”.
Road fatalities
Statistics from the MTTD indicated that 216 persons lost their lives in Ghana through road accidents in May 2021.
This figure, according to the police department, represents a 26.32% increment in the number of deaths recorded last year.
In total, 1,250 have died from road accidents from January to May 2021.
The statistics also showed that 1,309 people have also sustained injuries from road accidents in the month of May 2021, representing a 26.72% rise from last year’s figures.
Furthermore, figures from the NRSA also show that Ghana loses about 1.7 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product every year to road crashes in addition to the loss of lives.
Consequently, road accidents remain a major public safety and economic issue.
Behavioural change
Transport Minister Mr Asiamah urged road users to change their behaviour on the road.
“It is common knowledge that the act of indiscipline and reckless attitude of some road users are the contributory factors to traffic fatalities and injuries on our roads. We cannot achieve much if we do not change our behaviours on the road.
“We all, as road users, especially drivers and pedestrians, must exhibit discipline and responsibility whilst driving, walking or crossing the road. Let us work together to compliment Government’s efforts at ensuring safety on our roads”, he added.
Commenting on the Ehyen initiative, the Minister lauded the brains behind the technological drive and assured them of government’s assistance needed to sustain them “so that the benefits are not eroded”.
About Ehyen
Ehyen is a wholly-owned Ghanaian initiative, which offers opportunities for both drivers and users in the form of increased choices and lower costs of transport.
It comes with a lot of bonuses, commissions and benefits for its customers and drivers.
The company has insurance cover for the drivers on the Ehyen platform while drivers on the platform only pay 10 percent as commission, which is by far the lowest in the market.
Ehyen also offers rental services, which include luxurious vehicles, trucks and buses.
A total of 200 vehicles have been made available to drivers with the initiators of the technological drive saying it would be scaled up to 500 by end of the year.
The initiative offers employment for over 500 Ghanaians.
“This is a comforting service which I urge all and sundry to patronize to ensure it is successful. I believe we can, together, develop and grow our own technological solutions as we are witnessing today. Let’s work to make Ehyen, Ghana’s number one ride hailing transport service”, he said.
The Transport Minister personally promised to add five fleets of the vehicles to their fleets.
The Managing Director of Ehyen Transport Service, Clenard Bawa Adayina, addressing the gathering said their entry into the Ghanaian market is not just to add up to the numbers in the transport sector but to make a vast difference with their services.
“Ehyen has done a lot of research and has delved into the problems that are associated with ride hailing services and we have worked with knowledgeable experts to make sure the security, comfortability and safety of drivers and customers are assured”, he noted.
