Not-for-profit transportation organisation, Transaid, is putting funds from a recently received award towards safety and sustainability within Ghana’s road transport sector.
The organisation, which works with communities and governments to solve transport challenges throughout sub-Saharan Africa, secured the funding through the Movement for Good Award from the Benefact Group.
“Our focus remains on up-skilling local driver trainers in accordance with a newly developed heavy goods vehicles (HGV) driver training standard,” said Programmes Support Manager at Transaid, Jason Finch. “This will benefit hundreds of new and existing professional drivers, as well as improve the safety of thousands of other road users and roadside communities they interact with each year.”
The undisclosed sum forms part of a share of £500,000 being donated by Benefact Group to help charities. Winning projects were selected against four criteria — impact and effectiveness, sustainability, innovation, and care and compassion.
“We understand the importance of longer-term funding for charities, especially when trying to bring ambitious new ideas to life and get larger transformative projects off the ground,” said Group Chief Executive of Benefact, Mark Hews. “Through our large grants, we are actively championing innovation, giving charities the backing they need to propel their plans forward and turn creative ideas into practical solutions that benefit society.”
Transaid will use the award to fund the education of trainers for its Professional Driver Training project in Ghana, where the demand for HGV drivers is increasing rapidly. An estimated 98 per cent of all cargo transiting the country is transported by road, but according to the World Health Organisation, approximately 7,000 people are killed in road traffic collisions in Ghana every year.
The mainstay of Transaid’s professional driver training programme in Ghana is being funded by Puma Energy Foundation and it directly supports the international development organisation’s belief that every driver should be able to leave for a day’s work without the fear that they may not come home due to a lack of training, or dangerous vehicles and roads.
In other news, the new iC Plus running gear from BPW is promising loads that are “not too heavy and not too empty.”
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