Govt reviews Road Traffic Regulation

The government is reviewing the Road Traffic Regulation to come up with the best strategy to deal with break-down vehicles on the roads.

The Minister of Transport, Mr Kwesi Ofori Asiamah, said the review of the regulation would address the difficulties associated with the clearing of break-down vehicles from the roads.

He made this known in a speech read on his behalf by the Executive Director of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), Mrs May Obiri Yeboah, at the VIVO Energy Ghana 2017 Transporters' Awards in Accra last Saturday.

Mr Asiamah said the Ministry of Transport would also empower the NRSC to ensure compliance with road safety standards by motorists.

"There should be strong laws to empower the NRSC to enforce road traffic regulations," he stressed.

Collaboration

The minister called for collaborative efforts by the government and transport companies to devise measures to reduce the rate of motor accidents in the country.

He said it was only through such collaboration that motorists could be educated on road traffic regulations, as well as the need for them to exercise caution when driving.

"We have to work together to prevent the crashes,” he stressed.

Commendation

Mr Asiamah lauded VIVO Energy for building the capacity of its drivers and using the appropriate technology to ensure the observance of road traffic regulations.

He also commended transporters of VIVO-branded vehicles for driving for the past nine years without recording any accidents.

He urged other companies to learn from the example of transporters of VIVO Energy.

VIVO Energy

The Managing Director of VIVO Energy Ghana, Mr Ebenezer Faulkner, who also addressed the event, said the commitment to achieve and maintain the highest international health, safety, security and environmental standards was at the heart of the company’s business.

As a result, he said, it continued to invest significantly in training, technology and the adoption of best safety practices to continually improve its performance.

"Effective driver, journey and maintenance management; continuous annual driver training programmes; face-to-face driver mentorship and certified driver mentors; our daily and bi-annual vehicle inspections, and a rigid vehicle replacement policy after a well-defined economic life are some of the policies that have helped to create a safe and efficient transportation system for our business," he explained.

Mr Faulkner said this year, the company would focus on using advanced technologies such as drive cam to improve driver coaching and mentorship, with the aim of making its drivers perform at world-class standards.

Consequently, he said, the hauliers of the company had completed installing drive cams on all their fleets to help with the implementation of the six-monthly driver coaching and mentorship programme.

Awards were given to deserving drivers and companies for their exemplary contribution in 2017, with S.O. Frimpong Company Limited winning the overall best award.