Accra, Oct. 6, GNA - Ghana observes this year's International Road Transport Action Week with a weeklong of activities to sensitise road users and stakeholders in the transport sector on best strategies and practices to minimize accidents.

The week, which opened on Wednesday in Accra under the theme: "Respect and Safety Now," is being organized by the Federation of Transport Unions (FTU) of Ghana to also to ensure that road transport workers are continuously sensitized and adequately trained to operate effectively on the rules and regulations in the industry. Addressing the participants, Mr Noble Appiah, Executive Director of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), noted that excessive hours of work, were dangerous not only to drivers but to road users in general which calls for a collective efforts by all to solve the situation. He expressed regret that the fatality rate in Ghana is higher than in Japan, adding, only 35 out of 1,000 people owned cars in Ghana and 800 out of 1,000 people owned cars in Japan, all is due to indiscipline on our roads.

He said the risk of accidents increases with long distance driving without break, adding, a significant number of accidents were as a result of fatigue, speeding, drunk driving, poor conditions of vehicle and called for effective mechanism by all stakeholders. Mr Appiah called for the enforcement of regulations on rest period for long distance drivers to prevent fatigue related accidents. The Coordinating Secretary of FTU, Mr Emmanuel Amstrong Mensah called on the members to reposition themselves to stay focused in rendering the best service to their organizations to ensure growth and sustainable development.

He said the theme for the week called for a mutual collaboration by all stakeholders to ensure adequate and reasonable conditions of service become available to the road transport workers.

Mr Mensah said the problem confronting the sector needed to be solved through good management and worker relations, efficient conflict resolution mechanism and higher organizational growth and sustainability through commitment and a collective effort by government, employers and transport organizations.

He said if some of the indiscipline behaviours were allowed to continue it would not help the promotion of road transport business as investors in the industry would not be encouraged to invest more to sustain the sector.

He urged government to look at some of the causes such as, unmotorable road network, lack of road maintenance by the appropriate agencies, more importantly the removal of road signs by scrap dealers and misuse of highlights, which blinded drivers and pedestrians. Mr Mensah also urged all road transport organizations to employ capable instructors to train drivers with requisite skills to avert road traffic accidents.

Brigadier General Edward Lord-Attivor (Retired), Managing Director of Intercity STC Coaches Limited, urged drivers to ensure good driving habits were curbed.

"If we as transporters will commit ourselves to these core values and make our employers feel comfortable as well, the loss on our roads will be greatly minimized if not totally eradicated," he stated.