VANGUARD REWARDS OUTSTANDING DRIVERS IN SUNYANI (PAGE 40)

THE third Vanguard Assurance best taxi driver awards has taken place in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region.
At the ceremony, a total of 20 taxi drivers from the region, as well as those from the Northern and Upper East regions, were honoured for distinguishing themselves in their profession.
The theme for the ceremony was: “Defensive driving, the answer to road safety and tourism development”.
The award winners were presented with refrigerators, television sets and standing fans.
They included Messrs Joseph Appiah, John Lamptey and Alex Wilson Agyei from Bechem, Wenchi and Sunyani branches of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU).
Others were Messrs Alhassan Abdul Majed and Dyawine Martin from the Picorna GPRTU in the Northern Region, and Mr John K. Bodjah from the Bolgatanga GPRTU.
In a speech read for the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, he noted with regret that between January and April, this year, a total of 400 lives were lost through motor accidents.
Referring to a report, the minister stated that about 80 per cent of those accidents could be attributed to human factor, adding that indiscipline, ignorance and sheer bravado, had been identified as accounting for the greater number of the accidents.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo stated that the government had over the years, taken road safety seriously by working through agencies such as the National Road Safety Commission, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service, to reduce road accidents in the country.
He, however, stated that the recent spate of fatal accidents throughout the country strongly suggested that “Our road safety campaigns have a long way to go in achieving the desired results”, adding that those fatalities had heightened the need for all to join forces to halt the carnage on the roads.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo said the unfortunate thing was that most of those accidents could have been avoided if drivers had adhered to some basic “don’ts” of driving.
The regional minister urged the executives of the various transport unions to organise regular workshops and meetings for their members to enable those who had been trained as trainers of trainers to impart their knowledge to their colleagues.
He also advised the award winners to see themselves as apostles and disciples of the road safety campaign and again charged them to become lifesavers on the roads and at the various taxi terminals so that there could be an end to the carnage on the roads.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo commended the management of the insurance company for the bold programme it had initiated to lend support to the government’s efforts.
He gave the assurance that his administration would lend support to the company’s award scheme to make it successful.
The Regional Police Commander of the MTTU, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ASP) Paul Wesley Baah, stated that the region lost 82 lives through road accidents in the first quarter of the year while more people were also injured during the period as against 53 lives which were lost last year and fewer injuries.