The Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, has said that the government is determined to outline strategies to achieve a sustainable and inclusive transport system for all segment of society.
He described the new Transport and National Electric Vehicle Policy as well- thought out policy, meeting the demands of robust economy, while addressing environment and climate change issues
The Minister of Transport said this in a speech read on his behalf at a one- day dissemination workshop on the new policy in Sunyani of the Bono Region.
The objective of the workshop was to harmonise cross-sectoral recommendations from industry, investors, transport operators, and environmental experts on the policies.
Participants at the workshop included representatives from the academia, members of the Sunyani Association of garages, Ghana National Fire service and transport operators
Mr Asiamah explained that the first attempt to have a national transport policy was in 2008 through the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRSll) which culminated in the national transport policy in 2008.
The Bono Regional Minister, Justina Owusu Banahene, in her welcome address, called for a collaboration between the Sunyani Technical University and Sunyani Association of garages to foster smooth knowledge transfer and capacity building with the advent of new development in the transport sector such as electric vehicles.
During a presentation, Mr Daniel Essel, Deputy Director at the Ministry of Transport notred that countries at the forefront of the electric vehicles like Norway would phase out internal combustion engines (reliance on fossil fuel) by 2031.
He said Ghana’s policy implementation strategy would be roll out in three phases, adding that preparation for take-off would be between 2024 and 2026 whilst promotion phases would last between 2027 and 2035 with the last phase for phasing out the sale of internal combustion engines spanning 2036 to 2045.
Some of the participants who are stakeholders in the transport sector expressed fear that oil marketing companies and spare-parts dealers would have their investments wipped out when the electric vehicle is finally rolled out.
However, Mr Essel, allayed such fears, indicating that innovation was needed in business and the new electric vehicles would generate a new trend in vehicle parts supply chain.
He also assured the public that with the new lithium found, Ghana had a unique business opportunity for the country to become a major lithium battery manufacturing hub.
FROM DANIEL DZIRASAH, SUNYANI