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PROTOA acquires buses for members

The Progressive Transport Owners Association (PROTOA) has acquired four new mini-buses for members of the union.

The buses, purchased at GH¢320,000, were the first batch of 50 buses that PROTOA purchased from Toyota Ghana, under a memorandum of understanding.

It was financed by the Akuapem Rural Bank in the Eastern Region.

At a short ceremony in Accra, the deputy minister of Transport, Mrs Joyce Mogtari, said the buses would -provide an opportunity for members of the union to become transport owners and earn extra incomes, thereby securing their economic future.

Mrs Mogtari said it was also an opportunity for PROTOA to improve the incomes of their shareholders, thereby complementing other pension benefits available to its members.

“The launching of these buses, I believe, will go a long way to improve the operations of PROTOA and offer passengers better service on their routes,” she said.

Mrs Mogtari, therefore, appealed to Akuapem Rural Bank to offer reasonable interest rates on the credit facility to enable the members to repay the loan easily.

Touching on the transportation sector, she said since transport was a major contributory factor to the growth of any economy, there was the need for transport operators to put in place effective mechanisms to expand the sector.

“It is often said that the more developed a country’s transportation system is, the more developed its economy,” she said.

Mrs Mogtari mentioned that research had shown that over 80 per cent of road accidents were due to human error.

She indicated that figures from the National Road Safety Commission put the total number of road accidents for the year 2012 at 14,914, as against the 10,887 recorded in 2011.

“The urgency of this situation calls for concerted effort by stakeholders, including commercial vehicle operators, owners and all road users,” she said.

The Chairman of PROTOA, Mr Benjamen Peprah, said it was the intention of the association to support and equip its members to improve their lives.

The buses, he said, would not only bring good fortune to the union but also contribute to the growth of the country’s economy.

By Dominic Moses Awiah/Daily Graphic/Ghana

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