Mr. Frank Opoku Adjapong, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party in Brong-Ahafo, on Tuesday called for a national policy to regularize the installation and use of liquefied petroleum gas for commercial vehicles.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview, at Sunyani, Mr. Adjapong noted with concern the rate at which commercial vehicles, especially taxi cabs in the municipality, were switching from the use of petrol to gas without any proper supervision.
He expressed regret that most of the cylinders used by the drivers had outlived their usefulness and so posed serious threat to the lives of passengers.
Mr. Adjapong, a contestant for the regional chairmanship position of the NPP, urged the Ministries of the Interior, Roads and Transport, as well as the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA) to collaborate to train mechanic to convert petrol fuelled cars into gas versions to forestall any future accidents.
"Gas can easily catch fire in an emergency," he stated, and called on the Police Administration and the DVLA to inspect and certify vehicles that change to use gas to avoid problems.
Mr. Adjapong, who is also a businessman, explained that because of the lack of a legal instrument to standardize their use, some taxi drivers had continued to use expired gas cylinders to the detriment of the safety of passengers.
"As the Christmas festivity is approaching, there is the need for the Police and other relevant institutions to come on board and draw strategies that would ensure an accident-free yuletide," he said.
Nana Yaw Osei, a taxi driver, who plies the Sunyani-Abessim road told the GNA that since he converted his taxi cab from petrol to gas he had been able to meet his daily sales of GHC 25.