Truck drivers operating along Ghana’s major transit corridors have been sensitized on the risk and precautionary measures to be adhered to when transporting dangerous or hazardous cargo such as chemicals, explosives, fertilizers etc. This was at a one sensitization seminar organized by the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) on 3rd June, 2021 in Tema.
The seminar forms part of the GSA’s planned activities for the haulage transport sector in line with its mandate of promoting and protecting the interest of shippers in Ghana.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, Ms. Benonita Bismarck, in a speech read on her behalf admonished truck drivers to endeavour to follow laydown road traffic regulations and ensure that they transport cargoes along the major transit corridors in a safe and secure manner.
She emphasized the importance of the transit trade to the Ghanaian economy. According to Ms. Bismarck transit trade generates an estimated GH134 million Ghana cedis annually. She commended truck drivers for their important role in the haulage of transit cargo and promoting transit trade along our major corridors.
The General Manager, Marketing and Cooperate Affairs at the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Mrs. Esther Gyebi-Donkor who chaired the seminar, called on truck drivers to play their role effectively in promoting the transit business. She called on truck drivers to unite their front through the umbrella body, Joint Association of Port Transport Union (JAPTU), for the benefit of the port economy.
Mrs. Gyebi-Donkor underscored the importance of transit traffic to the port and the economy and the urgent need to help streamline activities of the haulage transport sector. According to her over 1.4 million tons of transit cargo passed through the ports of Ghana in 2020.
She called on the Motor Traffic & Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service and other security agencies to ensure the smooth passage of transit trucks along our corridors and avoid harassing transit truck drivers since it is negatively impacts on the transit trade business in Ghana.
Mr. Lovelace Sarpong, a Deputy Director at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took participants at the seminar through the various classes of dangerous cargo and the procedures in handling and reporting when accidents occur. He underscored the importance of truck drivers’ knowledge on the types of dangerous cargo being carried and the mitigation measures to be adopted when accidents or related incidence happen.
There were other presentations on road traffic regulations and the Role of the truck driver in avoiding unnecessary shipping cost.
In all over 300 truck drivers form Ghana, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso attended the workshop.
