Accra, Feb 23. GNA - The Ministry of Transport on Tuesday set up a Railway Complaints, Appeals and Review Panel (RCARP), to serve as a platform to receive public complaints about the railway service. RCARP which draw its terms of reference from the Railways Act, 2008 (Act 779) shall hear, review and deliberate on complaints and also determine grievances and award compensation to the aggrieved persons. The seven-member panel chaired by Mr Fred Asare Dankwah, a legal practitioner was sworn into office in Accra by Mrs Dzifa Attivor, Deputy Minister of Transport.

Mrs Attivor said RCARP was in line with the Ministry's vision to create an integrated, cost effective, secure and sustainable transportation system responsible to the needs of society.

"This is in conformity with the avowed commitment of the President John Atta Mills to transform the country into a middle income status by. 2020." She said the transport sector, especially rail transportation, must be positioned in terms of infrastructure and service delivery to play pivotal role in the economic transformation programmes of the country. Mrs Attivor noted that rail transport is crucial in the country's socio-economic and cultural development.

She said large capital was needed to improve on rail transport and called on the private sector to partner with government to develop it. Mrs Attivor said government had secured two million dollars under a Minimum Intervention Package for the rehabilitation of the Western Rail Line which remains the mainstay of the nation's railway network. She charged members of the RCARP to discharge their duties without fear or favour, and to be guided by the spirit of fairplay, justice and accountability. Mr Dankwah assured the Deputy Minister that the RCARP would discharge its duties in accordance with the laws establishing it to bring sanity into the sector. 23 Feb. 10