The National Courier Association of Ghana has served notice it will embark on a training exercise for its members from next year to enforce standards and reduce crashes.
The Association’s plan is premised on the fact that about fifty percent of accident deaths at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital were motorbike-related.
The courier services serve as a key component in the dispatch of items due to its timeliness and reliability.
But the National President of the National Courier Association of Ghana, Kwame Bekoe, says the training is critical not just for the companies but for patrons of courier services in Ghana.
“We are going to partner with the Road Safety Commission and various stakeholders in the industry who have already engaged us and partnered with us, and then the national road safety campaign; so the Association must come to the conclusion that this is the time for us to reduce accidents on our roads” he said.
The activities of the members of the Association are regulated by the Postal and Courier Services Regulatory Commission (PCSRC), which is the regulator for the Postal and Courier Sector in Ghana.
About the Postal and Courier Services Regulatory Commission
The Commission was established under the Postal and Courier Services Regulatory Commission Act, 2003 (Act 649), and is responsible for the implementation of national policies under the control of the Minister for Communications and in line with the National Postal Policy through its board – the Postal and Courier Services Regulatory Commission Board of Commissioners.
In line with Government of Ghana’s vision to transform the postal sector into a liberalized, modern and competitive service sector to meet the demands of the growing business community and the general public, the Ministry of Communications, promoted the enactment of the Postal and Courier Services Regulatory Commission Act, (Act 649) in August 2003.
The objects of the Commission are to promote and encourage the expansion of postal services for the social and economic development of the country, promote an efficient system for the delivery of mails nationwide in a manner responsive to the needs of mail users, promote fair competition among persons engaged in the provision of postal services, protect licensees and consumers from unfair conduct of other licensees with regard to quality of postal services, generally promote the interest of consumers and the advancement of technology related to the provision of postal services.
Challenges in enforcement
The Commission has had a tough time because a number of people operate in the industry without any regulation because they’re not registered.
As a result, the Commission in collaboration with the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Department, MTTD,occasionally carries out an exercise to clamp down on illegal operators especially those who use motorbikes for delivery services.
But the Association says the approach used by the MTTD often frustrates even genuinely registered courier service companies.
The year 2019 has seen a number of swoops to clamp down on courier operators yet to register under the commission.