Sunyani(B/A),Oct.19, GNA - The management of Vanguard Assurance Company on Wednesday presented a double door refrigerator to Mr. Kwasi Adu, a taxi driver at Nsoatre for winning the Brong Ahafo Regional best taxi driver award at a ceremony at Sunyani. Other winners were Mr. Philip Bresah of Sunyani who took home a 20-inch colour television and Mr. Seth Ankomah Yeboah of Berekum, who had a ghetto blaster.

The Company also presented 500,000 cedis each to 17 other taxi drivers.

Mr. Emmanuel Mahama Baba, Chief Executive Officer of the Company who made the presentation noted that taxi drivers were indispensable in the transport sector.

He said the Company, concerned about the alarming rate of road accidents was in partnership with the Ghana Tourist Board to offer training to taxi drivers throughout the country to help reduce such fatalities.

Mr. Baba announced the institution of the company's commercial drivers retirement and welfare assurance schemes, designed to ensure comfortable retirement and death benefits for commercial drivers. He explained that the company instituted the taxi driver award scheme three years ago and the presentation at Brong Ahafo was the fourth to be held this year after Greater Accra, Eastern and Ashanti Regions.

Mr. Baba said the scheme would be extended to the Western, Central and Volta Regions next year. He was optimistic that the Award scheme would cover all the 10 regions by 2007.

Nana Kwadwo Seinti, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, commended the Company for the bold innovative step to institute the scheme. He said the scheme would complement Government's efforts to curb accidents on the roads and ensured that taxi drivers exhibited good behaviour to passengers.

The Regional Minister advised drivers to carry out basic maintenance checks on their vehicles daily before they start work. Mr. Mohammed Abubakari Adams, Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander expressed concern about the alarming rate of indiscipline on the roads and cautioned drivers against aggressive driving, unauthorized parking and unsecured loading.