The Association Of Ghana Vulcanizers has hinted at a possible increment in their services during its first meeting of the year. Organizers of the meeting intended to engage vulcanizers from various parts of Accra as well as other regions.The decision by the association to increase its charges according to them was due to an increase in prices of equipment high cost of machine maintenance.
The association revealed that vulcanizers have over the years charge as low as one Ghana Cedi for checking of pressure and pumping of tyres and as low as 5 Ghana Cedis for other services. According to them, their cash flow is being hindered and its members can no longer bear the hardship. The increase, in charges, is a step in the right direction as it will alleviate their financial difficulties; thus, enable them to offer quality service to Ghanaians. Just like other Ghanaians, we also have to put food on the table for our family and pay utility bills. The meeting also sorts to educate themselves on tyre safety, the significance of gauge calibration, the importance of vehicle and road safety measures.
Addressing the participants, the General Secretary of the Association and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Barshok 10 Tyres Safety Services Mr. Basiru Karimu asserted that the time has come for Vulcanizers in Ghana to come under one umbrella to help reduce road accidents through negligence. Adding that the association will engage government to deliberate and regularize the work of Vulcanizers and put the right structures in place to improve their living standards.
Mr. Basiru encouraged his fellow vulcanizers to invest in their profession and make the job more attractive. He said he started his vulcanizing job at a roadside but through investment, he has upgraded himself and his vulcanizing shops into a world standard one. He expressed optimism in the association’s ability to help its members excel and provide the needed support for them to reach a milestone in the field of their profession; revealing that the association has established a vulcanizing training Institute to train its members to have theoretical knowledge on the job adding that the training institution will as well pave the way for other individuals who are interested in the vulcanizing profession. The training Institute he said has been registered under NVTI and it will be awarding certificates to participating students.
On his part, the representative from the National Roads Safety Authority Mr. Kwame Koduah revealed that there is a new law that will look for institutional discipline and institutional compliance to the matters of road safety adding that there is draft regulatory which will soon be taken to Parliament and vulcanizers are key stakeholders that have been pencilled down. He said the Roads Safety Authority is looking at how it can register, train and grant accredited certificates to vulcanizers thereby giving assurance to drivers who seek their service. The representative of the National Roads Safety Authority divulged the previous discussion with the association and sought their participation to bring out ideas that prevent road accidents nationwide.
Source: wadataonline.com/Muhammed Faisal Mustapha
