GSA holds Sensitization Workshop for Haulage Truck Drivers and Owners

The Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) has held a day’s sensitization workshop for Haulage Truck Drivers and Owners operating transit trade across the corridors of Ghana. The event which came off at Tema on Thursday was aimed at ensuring that participants are abreast with the country’s road safety regulations and other rules.

They were taken through topics such as Road Safety Regulations for Haulage Truck along Ghana’s major transit corridors; the risk factors and the precautionary measures to be adopted by haulage trucks drivers in the transportation of Dangerous Goods along the country’s transit corridors; and the haulage truck driver’s role in avoiding unnecessary costs in the shipment of transit cargo through Ghana’s ports, among others.

Head of Freight at the GSA, Fred Asiedu Datey who read a statement on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Authority, Benonita Bismarck, hinted that the GSA its partners are working around the clock to ensure that they use best practices in the shipping industry for efficiency and competitiveness across the sub-region.

“…in compliance with international agreements, protocols, conventions, and other accords, Ghana has offered its territory as a corridor for its landlocked neighbors to transit their goods to and from these countries. This gesture, no doubt, has come with tangible economic benefits to the state.

“Conservative estimates point to annual revenue of over aGhc134 million. It is in the light of this that we call on all stakeholders to commit to facilitating the transit trade, with the view of ensuring that Ghana’s corridor remains one of the most attractive in the sub-region,” She noted.

The CEO admitted that there are some fundamental issues affecting transit trade that require the undivided attention of all stakeholders, saying the one-day sensitization workshop in addition to the usual Road Safety issues will also address the carriage of hazardous/dangerous cargo and the need to avoid unnecessary costs in the shipment process.

She explained that dangerous goods (acids, fertilizers, chemical products, petroleum products, explosives, gaseous substances etc.) pose risks to human safety, property, and the environment if accidentally released during transportation in commerce which is why it is important that beyond government efforts at regulating the transportation of hazardous cargo, regular sensitization of key stakeholders of this nature, are conducted to serve as risk prevention and mitigation measures.

She said the GSA has since 2018 been undertaking quarterly fact-finding missions along the major transit corridors in the country and its findings have unearthed very serious infractions such as Road Traffic Regulations, Police Harassment, malpractices at Axle Load Stations, among others.

“The outcome of the latest fact-finding trip undertaken from May 24-28, 2021 on the Tema-Hamile corridor recorded the following: 55 police and MTTD stops (40 permanent barriers and 15 temporary barriers), two (2) Forestry Commission posts, nine (9) Customs checkpoints, three (3) Immigration checkpoints and four (4) Axle Load stations – Tema motorway, Akom, a mobile axle weighbridge at Doboro, and Sawla,” She revealed.

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She told the drivers that the current Inspector General of Police (IGP), James Oppong-Boanuh has shown personal commitment to removing trade barriers along Ghana’s Transit Corridors.

She also informed the gathering that the GSA in collaboration with the Ghana Highways Authority has developed an Axle Load Protocol which is a step-by-step process of what to do once a haulage truck driver gets to any Axle Station.

The Axle Load Protocol which is written in both English and French according to Madam Bismarck will be posted at each Axle Load Station to help clarify requirements at these stations to mitigate abuse of truck drivers.

Meanwhile, the General Manager in charge of Marketing and Corporate Affairs at the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Esther Gyebi Donkoh, who chaired the occasion, commended the organizers for the sensitization workshop for the truck drivers.

She said one of the key performance indicators of an efficient transit logistic value chain is transportation.

“To this end, we all must work to ensure efficiency and safety in the haulage transport sector within the operations of transit trade in our maritime economy.

“The topics are very important because they are issues that are very critical to ensuring that Ghana benefits from its international trade practices in the transit logistics value chain, she noted, while confirming that some officials enforcing road safety and other regulations oftentimes take undue advantage of minor omissions committed by drivers and exact very harsh treatments to drivers and rendering Ghana’s corridors unattractive.

“This development must stop if Ghana is to fully achieve its objectives as a gateway to the sub-region,” She added.

She urged the Haulage Truck Drivers to ensure that they are abreast with the road safety regulations and other laws and in doing so ensure compliance. She also disclosed that her outfit is in partnership with other stakeholders including the Joint Association of Port Transport Union (JAPTU) to embark on a trade mission to neighboring landlocked countries including Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali to market the ports as a preferred destination to transit cargo.

By Franklin ASARE-DONKOH