Editorial
Check activities of tricycle operators
Tricycles, also known as ‘Pragya,’ have recently gained popularity as a form of public transportation in both urban and rural areas.
The use of “Pragya,” is an important source of employment for people in Accra, Kumasi, Ho, Cape Coast, Tamale, Bolgatanga, and other places.
Some commuters find it simple to patronise ‘Pragya’ as a mode of transportation because, in their opinion, it is inexpensive, easily accessible, and quick on the road due to riders’ ease in navigating through automobile traffic. However, many commuters and drivers now find the annoyances that tricycles create on busy roads to be unsafe as well.
Therefore, it urges the government to act quickly to either put a stop to their actions or to regulate them in order to restore order to the system.
Tricycles are widely used in India, China, France, the Philippines and Nigeria among others.
They are sometimes used to transport farm produce to markets to lower post-harvest losses. Others use tricycles for recreation, shopping, and exercise.
Even though they are little, tricycles have emerged as the “Kings of the Road” and are ubiquitous.
However, are their practices legal? Something that began as a little business around three years ago is steadily growing, and if it is not checked, the tricycle will eventually cover the entire community, mostly the cities.
Despite the fact that it has had a tremendous impact on transportation, its operations need to be regulated for safety reasons.
Some have suggested legalising it as a form of transportation to lower crime rates, as it has created employment for the youth.
At the moment, the legislation restricts the use of tricycles for commercial purposes rather than supporting it.
First of all, according to Regulation 128 (1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act LI 2180, the use of a motorbike or tricycle for a commercial purpose is prohibited.
It further states that motorbike or tricycle cannot be registered by the licensing authority to transport fare-paying passengers.
Section 128 (2) states that except for courier and delivery services, no one may use or permit the use of a motorcycle or a tricycle over which they have control for commercial purposes.
Also, Section 128 (3) establishes that no one may travel on a motorbike or a tricycle in exchange for a fare. Lastly, a person who violates Sub regulations (1), (2), or (3) commits an offense and is subject to a fine of up to 25 penalty units, a period of imprisonment of up to 30 days, or both upon summary conviction.
The operators passionately opposed recent attempts by the authorities to restrict the movement of these tricycles in metropolitan areas since, in their opinion, it provided a living for them and their families.
Even if tricycles are now a common mode of transportation, it is important to remember that some riders lack discipline: they break the law, do not follow the laws of the road, and ride carelessly and recklessly, which result in fatal accidents.
Aside from the fact that they are not particularly heavy, tricycles lack safety doors, and their riders annoy law-abiding road users.
Despite these difficulties, commuters frequently use tricycles, hence urgent action must be taken by the government to resolve these problems.
According to the current state of affairs, it appears that the government has to alter the law to make tricycle use legal while also enforcing rider behaviour restrictions.
In order to bring order to the system, stakeholders including the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), the Driver, Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA), Transport Unions and Tricycle Operators among others should have a forum to discuss a policy framework that will regulate the actions of these tricycle operators.
Editorial
Kudos to Ho Teaching Hospital staff, but …
Dear Editor,
If there is any group of professionals that get bad-mouthed the most, then you are referring to nurses and medical doctors assigned to public hospitals across the country.
For this particular letter, I want to sing the praises of this same group of professionals that work at the Ho Teaching Hospital, famously known as Trafalgar.
Despite the work load and the mass casualties received at the emergency ward of the hospital, the welcoming nature of the nurses and the professional touch by the doctors can’t be ignored. My personal experience has got me travelling from my base in Accra to seek medical services from these professionals.
Special mention has to be made of the likes of Precious of the Pharmacy Department, Dr Brandon Banor (a maxillofacial resident) of the Dental unit, male nurse Justice assigned to the female surgical ward. Words cannot really do justice to their affable, professional caring nature. A simple thank you is all that I can say.
In the same vein, I can’t but call out the bad attitude of the auxiliary staff and contractors of the hospital.
Chief among them is some of the contracted bank staff that handle the payment section of the hospital and the patient registration section (those that check the status of the patient as to whether they are fee paying patients or NHIS sponsored).
The attitude at times leaves a bad taste in the mouth. One such occurrence was a night staff of the registration section who had her legs on the office table whilst talking to patients.
The CEO of the hospital needs to shine his torch light on this support sections before they erode the awesome performance of the direct medical staff of the hospital.
Thank you for the space.
Kwesi Manu
Accra
Editorial
Develop policies to address disability concerns
Dear Editor,
AT the beginning of the year, when I went to the bank to deposit money into my uncle’s account, I observed a very sad situation where a man in a wheelchair struggled to navigate his way around the facility.
This is because the structure is disability unfriendly.
As I stood and watched how the man struggled to move his wheelchair, I felt sad and wondered if this is how the life of a disabled person should be. It becomes worse if there is no one to offer help.
In Ghana, People With Disabilities (PWDs) are often treated differently and are often subjected to all forms of discrimination.
Most of these people find themselves in such a situation as a result of unfortunate happenings such as accidents and injuries.
It is, therefore, not appropriate for anyone to discriminate against them. Discrimination against such persons take many forms, including how buildings are constructed.
Most of the public structures are not disability friendly and impede their movement.
As a country, we should consider the PWDs in designing our structures. I also think that there should be a national policy that seeks to address this issue.
I have a strong conviction that when such a policy is developed by the government, people with disabilities would feel appreciated and also promote social inclusivity.
Ray,
Kasoa
