Vice President of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Robert Sabbah has conceded that the union failed in ensuring that every commercial vehicle has dustbin.
The GPRTU in March 2015 launched a program in Koforidua to provide members with dustbins to help improve sanitation in the country.
The National Chairman of the union at the time, Alhaji Yaw Manu, had promised to distribute dustbins to every branch of the union across the country. The bins were to be placed in all passenger vehicles in support of the then national sanitation day campaign.
As part of Media General’s sanitation campaign #GarbageOut, 3FM Community Connect revisited the subject, four years on, most drivers have failed to comply with the directive.
Robert Sabbah in an interview with Johnnie Hughes on Community Connect noted, “There were some of the vehicles which possess the litter bins. Some are still complying with our directives, but majority are not doing what is expected of them.
“Admittedly I must say we have failed in monitoring this. We are well aware that cleanliness is next to godliness so we must ensure that our cities are clean. This will attract investors into our country; [but] we have failed, I must admit we have failed,” he confessed.
Mr. Sabbah however promised GPRTU will reintroduce the programme and assured that the union will work with the District Assemblies to maintain the initiative.
“Our attention has been drawn through your medium we will make sure that we will revive that policy and this time around we will monitor to the last degree,” he assured.
As it stands, passengers resort to disposing of their refuse in the vehicles whiles others prefer to fly it out through the window.
Incidentally, the Ghana Police Service and some patriotic citizens have to hold these recalcitrant individuals to the law by stopping vehicles and insisting offending passengers pick the rubbish.
In some instances, some drivers’ mates dispose of the refuse generated in the car at the stations for sanitation contractors to sweep.
Station manager at Tema lorry station, Raymond Ayitey, who confirmed this practice admitted that majority of their cars don’t have dustbins.
“We talk to the drivers, we talk to the passengers; anybody who buys something outside within the car, keep the sanitation in the car. So when we get to the station, we throw it out,” he said.
Meanwhile, Director of Waste Management Department at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Eng. Solomon Noye has commended the GPRTU for the initiative. “Once they have the litter bins in the car, it means the tendency of passengers to throw the litter onto the street will be reduced drastically,” he remarked.
“This they should do in collaboration with the MMDAs [Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies] in order to ensure effective coordination,” he advised.
By Paul Selorm Agbo| 3news.com| Ghana