NRSC to establish academy for drivers - Gidisu

Accra, March 26, GNA - The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) is to establish a National Drivers Academy to train professionals for the transport industry as a means of curbing road crashes. Mr. Joe Gidisu, Minister of Roads and Highways, said the framework had already been put together and it was aimed at training and equipping individuals interested in that sector with the skills and professional competence.

Mr Gidisu, speaking at a press conference in Accra on Thursday, also added that, the Ministry had finalized a review of the Road Traffic Regulations, which when parliament approved would help to curb current problems in the sector. He said a meeting with stakeholders identified key contributory factors to crashes as: high speed, fatigue, tyre burst, wrongful overtaking, and disabled vehicles left unattended to as well as unsafe vehicles, among others. "It has also been noted that crashes involving vehicles transporting hazardous goods are increasingly contributing to the deaths," Mr. Gidisu added.

He noted that the NRSC and the MTTU had been authorized to engage the services of Rutchen Trucks, Ghana, to tow disabled and broken down vehicles especially on the Accra-Kumasi and Accra-Takoradi corridor. "Commercial transport operators are being encouraged to put in place some internal control mechanisms to help avoid these crashes. All transport terminals are to embark on pre-departure checks." Mr. Gidisu noted that the MTTU had also adopted strategies to enforce regulations especially at crash-prone highways adding, "The road task force must intensify its road check duties and this should include representatives of transport operators." He said the Ministry would provide basic devices to driver unions to check speed limits, alcohol levels as well as equipping some hospitals to deal effectively with accident related cases. Mr Gidisu therefore, charged all drivers to belong to a union, called for strong collaboration between NADMO, Ghana Army and the National Ambulance Service among others to strengthen emergency response services.