By Caleb Kuleke
Ho, August 23, GNA-JA Plantpool has organised a two-day intensive training for 280 heavy-duty equipment operators and drivers from all the Municipal and District Assemblies in the Volta Region for effective implementation of the District Road Implementation Programme (DRIP).
The two-day training equipped the drivers with the requisite skills and knowledge in handling the various equipment including bulldozers, low beds pickups, backhoes, tipper trucks, wheel loaders, motor graders, rollers, and concrete mixers,
Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, Volta Regional Minister encouraged the trainees to continue to learn more about the machines and take good care of them if selected to use them.
Mr Eric Anobaah, Technical Manager at JA Plantpool and Lead Trainer said what the training aimed to achieve was to build the capacity of the indigene in the various districts across the nation and improve their livelihoods.
Madam Sefakor Yawa kugbonu, JA Plantpool Volta Regional Coordinator for DRIP told Ghana News Agency after the training that the training was necessary in preparing the drivers for perfect operation of the machines.
She said the training would go a long way to prolong the lifespan of the machines since the operators now understood the systems of the equipment well and could handle it with perfection.
Madam Kugbonu said the Government recognised the critical role of improved road infrastructure in accelerating the socio-economic development of the country, the DRIP to enhance the road network in the country.
She said the programme would create job employment opportunities for many indigenes and that JA Plantpool was poised to engage a workforce of over 5,000 individuals, including drivers, operators, mechanics, welders, sprayers, and janitors.
The coordinator said they had deployed 32 mobile service vans, each equipped with specialised tools and staffed with trained technicians, to provide service for the DRIP.
“These vans are strategically located across the country to ensure prompt and efficient maintenance and repair services,” she added.
Madam Kugbonu said the vans, along with their workshops located in all 16 regions of the country, would provide comprehensive after-sales services, ensuring that the vehicles remain in excellent condition throughout their lifespan.
She said they were also using tracking and telematic devices for real-time monitoring, providing critical information on driver management, fuel usage, and geofencing.
“We have also established a state-of-the-art call centre to track all equipment and receive complaint calls from across all 261 districts, ensuring prompt and effective responses and providing security for and instil discipline in the operation of these vehicles with a partnership with 48 Engineering Regiment,” she said.
The key stakeholders for the DRIP programme are the Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Roads, Common Fund Secretariat, Ghana Armed Forces, MMDAs and JA plant pool.
GNA