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Dress code for taxi drivers to come
into force on December 15 - AMA boss
Accra, Nov. 19, Ghanadot/GNA - The Accra Metropolitan
Assembly (AMA) on Monday said its mandatory dress code for
taxi driver would come into force from December 15, 2007.
This follows the satisfactory accomplishment of taxi
security registration exercise, he said.
"Taxi drivers are reminded that there shall be no more
shifting of goal post and the MTTU (Motor Transport and
Traffic Union of the Police Service) is accordingly being
asked to effect arrest without any more excuses," Stanley
Nii Adjiri Blankson, Chief Executive Officer of AMA,
announced in Accra on Monday.
He was addressing the third trainer's workshop for taxi
drivers and cabbie societies in the Greater Accra region, as
part of a project launched by Vanguard Assurance Company
Limited to promote road safety tourism.
The AMA early this year proposed sea blue shirt and
blue-black trousers for all taxi drivers operating in the
metropolis.
Nii Adjiri-Blankson said as the nation needed to adopt "a
new breed of disciplined taxi drivers to provide quality
service to mirror a positive image for the country to our
foreign guest".
He cited last Wednesday's car crash involving President John
Agyekum Kufuor's convoy, saying it was as a result of
increased indiscipline on the roads.
"What happened last Wednesday in our history should not
happen again," he said.
He said the human factor contributed 80 percent of accidents
in Ghana.
"Indiscipline, ignorance and sheer recklessness can be
identified as accounting for the greater proportion of fatal
accidents on our roads. Ghana's road accident record is
unacceptably high and the country continues to lose precious
human resource, some really high profile, through avoidable
lorry accidents.
"Our road safety records could be much better if all
drivers, both commercial and private, can exercise great
discipline and patience when they are behind the steering
wheel."
Nii Adjiri-Blankson urged drivers to improve on their
profession by ensuring that they park only at approved
places, undertake regular maintenance on vehicles, dressing
properly and enhancing customer services culture.
He commended Vanguard Assurance Company Limited for
instituting awards for best taxi drivers, training for
drivers and transport unions as well as supporting drivers
to own brand new taxi cabs through leasing arrangements with
financial institutions.
Nii Adjiri said training was an important requisite for
effective behavioural change and urged executives of the
various transport unions to ensure that the necessary
platform was provided for the trainers to impart their
knowledge to their colleagues.
GNA
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