The regional police commander (third left) presenting the overall best awards to the executives of PROTOA. With them is Mr Tsibu Yirenkyi (left)
THE NATIONAL Road Safety Commission (NRSC) in pursuance with a directive from the Ministry of Transport has come out with operational standards for transport operators, passengers and other road users to help avoid unnecessary road accidents in the country.
The objectives of the operational standards are to address the capacity of the transport operators and unions, and serve as measures to assess efforts being made by the operators to halt the increasing rate of road accidents.
The Eastern Regional Manager of NRSC, Kwasi Tsibu Yirenkyi, who made this known at this year?s Regional Safety Awards at Koforidua, said a major component of the operational standards was the appointment of road safety officers by the various road transport unions in the country.
?The responsibilities of the road safety officers are to ensure that an operator or transport unions have road safety policy which will define the roles and responsibilities of every member of the union, consequences, reward management and training needs of their members,? he said
According to him, the road safety officers would ensure that journeys of more than 40km were planned and pre-trip inspections were conducted on vehicles embarking on these journeys. Also qualified drivers must be employed or hired by operators and good-conditioned vehicles should be bought by operators.
?The road safety officers will also double as road safety technical advisors to the unions and ensure that every activity is documented since documentation is the basis for sound management,? he said.
He indicated that with the passage of Road Traffic Regulations LI 2180 and the operational standards drawn by the NSRC coming into force, the continuous existence of any union or an operator would be determined by the quality of their services.
According to the regional manager of NRSC, the commission had set a target for itself in line with the National Road Safety Strategy III to help halt the unacceptable road crashes and fatalities on the roads.
He noted that the Road Safety Awards was founded on the principle ?safety culture?, and that union leaders and operators must encourage their members to first and foremost think about safety on the road, talk about safety and drive safely to their destinations.
The Progressive Transport Owners Association (PROTOA) emerged the overall winners beating the Metro Mass Transit Company, Co-operative Union and the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPTRU).
Yaw Adogo of PROTOA told the DAILY GUIDE that they had officers who inspected their cars to check whether they were in good condition before the cars were used. He added that drivers were also trained and on how to treat passengers onboard their vehicles.
The Member of Parliament for New Juaben, Madam B.B. Boateng, the Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kwabena Gyamera-Yeboah and the Regional MTTU Commander Chief Superintendent James Sarfo Peprah were some of the personalities who graced the awards ceremony.
From Thomas Fosu Jnr, Koforidua
