Accra, Feb. 2, GNA - Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday sai= d government would initiate measures that would ensure that only qualified an= d competent people were licensed to drive in the country.

He said a national debate would also be opened on whether there should b= e an outright ban on the importation and use of used vehicle tyres into the country. "These variables are part of the measures government is adopting to red= uce or completely eliminate the carnage on our major roads."

Vice President Mahama said this when he broke the grounds for the commencement of the Bus Rapid Transit project in Accra. The Accra project which would cost $90 million on completion, would amon= g other benefits improve on mobility, promote a shift to more environmentally sustainable transport modes and regulate the urban passenger transport system. The project which is being funded by the World Bank, Agence Francaise de Development, the Global Environmental Facility and the Government of Ghana, would be replicated in other metropolis and Municipalities in the coming years. In Accra, the pilot project would be on the Kasoa-Mallam-Kaneshie route through the Graphic road to Accra Central and the Adenta-Madina-Tetteh Quarshie through 37 Military Hospital to Accra Central.

The other routes are Accra to Tema Beach Road, Nsawam and the ring road from Korle-bu through to the La General Hospital junction.

Vice President Mahama urged the implementers to strictly adhere to methodology to ensure that the project worked successfully to reduce traffi= c congestions in the major cities and urban areas of the country. He said the project had worked successfully in Jakarta, Indonesia, Columbia, Brazil, South Africa and Nigeria and hoped that government would implement it successfully.

The Vice President attributed most of Ghana's road accidents to bad tyres, lack of maintenance on vehicles, and unqualified drivers among others, adding 93I believe that if we are able to work on these problems w= e would be spared the numerous road accidents." Mr Joe Gidisu, Minister of Roads and Transport, announced that governmen= t had acquired funds to construct more roads in the Greater Accra Region. He mentioned the construction of a 15-Kilometre road from Awoshie to Pokuase, reconstruction of the six kilometre road from 37 intersections to La Palm Hotel, and another one linking Burma Camp Road to Spintex Road as part of the beneficiaries.

Mr Gidisu said the Bus Rapid Transit system would eliminate the daily queues at bus terminals as it would be faster than the normal movement and could transport about 15,000 passengers during the peak hours. In a message read on his behalf, Mr Ishak Diwan, World Bank Country Representative, said the implementation of the project would help decongest the city of traffic and curb the careless crashes that occured during the peak hours.