News
Support efforts to make road traffic safe-GRSA
The Ghana Road Safety Authority (GRSA) has held a stakeholders consultation on the draft Legislative Instrument (L.I.) with a call on Ghanaians to support efforts aimed at sanitising the road sector.
The new regulations have become evident as it would provide a framework for the coordination, regulation, implementation and enforcement of road safety regulations and standards.
When passed, the L.I would enable the NRSA to enforce standards, to promote sanity and reduce crashes on the roads.
The L. I would advance realistic enforcement of provisions in the National Road Safety Act, 2019 (Act 993) which established the Authority.
It was attended by personnel from the Motor Traffic and Transport and Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, traditional authorities, transport unions, garages, representatives of the Ghana Highway Authority, representatives from the Ghana Federation for the Disabled as well as the Ghana Red Cross Society.
During a presentation, the Director of Planning and Programmes at the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), David Osarfo Adonten said the nation could not continue to look on for people to flout road safety regulations with impunity.
“We have reached a point in our history where we have to regulate the road transport sector and also that operators in the sector adhere to the established regulations,” he said.
He also said that: “Driving should be seen as a profession and we must ensure that drivers who ply our roads have the requisite professional training to drive on our roads”.
Under the new L.I, he said, every driver must belong to a union and that there would be no floating drivers.
Mr Adonten said the road sector played a crucial role in the socio-economic development of the nation and all efforts must be made to safeguard the sector.
He explained that, the engagement was to bring more ideas to enrich the new L.I before its final submission to parliament.
Mr Adonten indicated that, the safety of people, especially on public transport, needs to be guaranteed and explained that public transport must not be allowed to operate in a disorganised way.
He said, drivers would not be permitted to load at the road side but only within bus terminals and lorry parks.
The planning and programmes director further pointed out that the NRSA would work hard to ensure adherence to standards within the sector as stipulated in the new L.I
He noted that some of the road accidents in the country could be attributed to expired tyres which he said had the potential to cause accidents on the road.
Additionally, Mr Adonten said, vulcanisers would be trained to make them efficient and effective in their work and also certified across the country.
A Director of the Central Regional Coordinating Council, Kingsley Agyei Boahen, who was the chairman for the meeting, urged the all stakeholders to support the NRSA to come out with a comprehensive L.I. that would help streamline activities within the sector.
Source: Ghanaian Times
News
Craze for x’mas shopping: Crowded markets, low patronage
Vendors of food and other wares associated with the Christmas celebration have expressed surprise at the low patronage despite the increased number of visitors to some of the major markets across the capital.
Four days to the celebration(Christmas), the markets are filled with various products ranging from food, clothing, livestock and many other stuff, but according to the vendors, patrons are doing more ‘window’ shopping.
The Spectator on visits to some of the markets in the capital, notably the Odawna, Makola, Accra Central Business District, New Town and others made similar observations as shoppers crowd them but did little in terms of purchases.
The paper also observed that majority of vendors, originally selling other wares have switched to product related to the festive season.
What it means is that there are a lot more clothes, food and vegetables, livestock and poultry, toys, firecrackers, drinks of different types and many others on display.
The markets have also stretched to the pedestrian pavement, leaving very narrow spaces for commuters to move about freely.
That, in addition to a few of the female vendors dressed in coloured attires to reflect the occasion, has heightened the euphoria, leaving the low sales as the only headache for the vendors.
Speaking with this paper, they sounded very optimistic, believing that sales would improve in the last few days to the yuletide.
According to them, there was the opportunity to sell beyond Christmas as the New Year celebration offers similar opportunity to trade the same wares.
They urged patrons to throng the markets to shop since prices were quite moderate and products affordable for all.
News
Retirement service for Elder John Ackom-Asante,3 others
Retired Deputy Editor of The Spectator, Elder John Ackom-Asante, was last Sunday honoured by the Church of Pentecost Windy Hills District in Kasoa in the Central Region, with a retirement thanksgiving service, after serving for 26 year as an Elder of the church.
He was honoured with a citation and certificate of service along with three other elders who served in the capacity for various years.
Elder Ackom-Asante was baptised at the Darkuman Central Assembly in 1979 and ordained as an Elder in 1997.
The citation read “Your selfless service, zeal, willingness to relate wholeheartedly and your desire to effect change has gone a long way to shape the lives of many people in the church and the nation over the 26 years of your dedication to the service of the Lord.”
Elder Ackom- Asante held many positions at the Darkuman Central Assembly, Obuasi in the Ashanti Region and Tema, serving in various capacities as youth and evangelism ministry leader and marriage counsellor.
He was the founding member of the Darkuman Christian Fellowship, a member of the Greater Accra Christian Fellowship; member of Bible Society of Ghana; founding member Obuasi Chapter Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International and founding member of New Times Corporation Christian Fellowship and Chaplain, Methodist University Tema Campus 2009- 2010.
As a professional journalist, Elder Ackom-Asante combined effectively and efficiently his duty as a member and elder of the church and the demands of his profession, with admiration from the church, kith and kin, till his retirement on December
From Alhaji Salifu Abdul-Rahaman, Kasoa
