Drivers do not listen to us - Ho passengers

Passengers at the Ho main lorry station Thursday expressed concern about the unwillingness of drivers to heed promptings on safety and driving regulations.

They expressed the concern at a public outreach on passenger safety by the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) in Ho, to mark this year’s West Africa Road Safety Organisation (WARSO) Day.

The passenger consensus at the forum was that, commercial drivers are only interested in their transport fares after which they disdainfully disregard them.

“The drivers simply do not listen to us. When you tell them to slow down, that is when they speed the more,” 79 years old Madam Torwoe Azorli told Ghana News Agency.

She alleged that the young drivers in particular are guilty of unsafe driving, yet would resist advice and pep talks from travellers.

Mr. Seth Agbovie, a Businessman, said impatience and the intransigence of drivers are main causes of misunderstanding between drivers and passengers.

“Some of our drivers believe they know it all. They see passengers as children or goods and drive us anyhow, sometimes showing off on the road that they are senior drivers,” he stated.

Some other contributors called for an improvement in driver-passenger rapport.

“Drivers are also sometimes passengers, so we need to understand each other,” Kofi Ziga, a Transport Union Executive, said.

Mr. Sebastian Akyeampong, Volta Regional Manager of Road Safety Commission (NRSC) said it is unfortunate that irrespective of the regular road safety education, some drivers continue to speed in towns and did wrong over-takings.

“It seems to me that over-speeding is a spirit that comes on some drivers. Yes! Let me go early and come early is a spirit. Once they sit behind the steer, the spirit comes on them. This is bad. Let’s travel with the regulations and apply them while on our journeys,” he said.

Mr. Francis Gbedze, Police Inspector in charge of the Motor Transport and Traffic Unit in Ho advised vehicle owners to desist from setting high sales targets for drivers.

Mr. Moses Davor, Regional Chairman of Ghana Private Road Transport Union said it is important for drivers to give travel information to passengers before setting off, and urged them to drive defensively.

WARSO Day is set aside to be observed by all West African countries.

The theme for the Day is: “Empowering Passengers of Buses to Improve Road Safety in West Africa.”

WARSO was established in 2008 under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States to promote road safety among member states.

A major road safety challenge facing the sub-region is the rising deaths among passengers of buses.