The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), Ghana has lamented the level of attention given to the chronic road carnage in the country and called for a concerted approach to eliminate this phenomenon.
Speaking on Eye on Port, Vice President in Charge of Road Transport at the Ghana Branch of CILT, Alhaj Dumba Saaka, stated that the impact of the never-ending high levels of road accidents go beyond injuries and loss of lives but also severely affects the cargo supply chain.
He explained that “now that we virtually take care of the landlocked countries in addition to Ghanaians through our ports, it is not good for business. With supply chain time is of essence. The cargo could be perishable. The more delays caused on roads, the more the loss to the economy.”
The Fellow at CILT recommended the establishment of a Road Transport Authority to help sanitize the sector which he described as too open.
Alhaj Dumba Saaka lamented in Ghana, “everybody can enter the transport industry. If I buy a car and give to my uncle right now, he can start business. There is no regulation.”
While he acknowledged poor roads and poor vehicles as major contributing factors, he maintained that better remuneration and a well-organised shift system for drivers would go a long way to reduce the carnage on roads.
He revealed that drivers often take risks to drive long hours under fatigue, with the aim of making more money, due to the low wages they’re offered.
Alhaj Dumba Saaka also recommended the urgent development of multimodal transport systems like air, rail, and inland water transportation to alleviate the pressure on road transport.
The road transport expert also expressed hope that the seeming renaissance in the management of the Ghana Police Service would translate to road traffic enforcement.
Alhaj Dumba Saaka disclosed that the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Ghana, has embarked on continuous professional development programmes to equip members with skills that when implemented would reduce the road carnage situation in the country.
