A shot of a tricycle used to convey school pupils
Disaster may be looming on a serious scale as some private schools have resorted to the use of tricycles, pickup trucks and very dilapidated buses to transport school children to and from school
Though the use of inappropriate and unfit for purpose vehicles to convey kids is happening across the country, rawgist.com took a look at the Techiman municipality in the Bono East region.
Nana Adu of Asta FM who joined officials of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) on an operation to check such vehicles in order to avert potential danger to school kids and other road users reports that many of the schools were using tricycles including the trailer type known locally as “aboboyaa” as well as the passenger type known locally as “Pragya” to convey school children.
He also observed instances where the buckets of pickup trucks were used to carry kids to and from school.
In other instances, kids were overloaded into dilapidated buses while some buses that were fit for purpose had no insurance and/or road worthy certificates.
School kids loaded into the front passenger seat of a bus
Mr. Samuel Agyei Effah; the Techiman North District NADMO Director said his outfit mounted a check point on the Tuobodom-Techiman Highway to inspect these school buses as part of their mandate to prevent disasters in the Country.
Mr. Agyei Effah reiterated that their operations will continue in Techiman North District. He explains that the first phase of the exercise involves inspecting, identifying and warning Schools whose buses are not in optimal condition. He warned that NADMO will collaborate with Other Law Enforcement Agencies to prosecute offenders who do not make positive changes in their School transport system.
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