Metro Mass drops drivers

Some drivers of the Kumasi Metro Mass bus transit depot have been laid off by management on health grounds, it has emerged.

Other drivers also lost their jobs because they were too old and not fit to continue with the arduous task of driving for so many hours.

The affected drivers suffered their fate when management of Metro Mass Transit in Kumasi organised a compulsory health screening for them.

The Kumasi depot manager of Metro Mass Transit, Nicholas Oduro, said the heath screening was held before the 2017 yuletide celebration.

According to him, the action by management after the screening exercise contributed to the drop in road crashes during the yuletide.

“There was less road crashes on our roads during the Christmas period largely because of the screening exercise that we embarked upon. After the compulsory screening exercise, we realised some of the drivers were suffering from eye problems and so it was difficult for them to see,” Mr Oduro mentioned.

“We also realised that some of our drivers were also very old and so they were lacking the strength to sit behind the steering wheel for so many hours.

Management, therefore, decided to retire the effected drivers so as to ensure the safety of our passengers and other users of the road,” he said.

Mr Oduro, who was speaking on Nhyira FM, said his management repeated the compulsory health screening exercise for their drivers recently.

According to him, the health screening exercise for Metro Mass Transit drivers at the Kumasi depot will be carried out every three month.

He stated that management is determined to make Metro Mass Transit bus the safest means of transport on the road across the country.

Mr Oduro disclosed that Metro Mass bus transit Kumasi depot had started an exercise to replace all their ageing buses with modern ones.

He also said Metro Mass bus transit Kumasi depot has plans to renovate its yard in Kumasi to make it look modern and also enhance their operations.