Mr Gabriel Glover, CEO of the Ghana National Bureau of the ECOWAS Brown Card says a dearth of knowledge on ECOWAS Brown Card Scheme among stakeholders like motorists and the general public is inhibiting the free movement of goods and people within the sub-region.

Mr Glover said this at a at two stakeholder capacity workshops organised by the Ghana National Bureau of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme, the organisation responsible for coordinating the activities of the scheme in Ghana.

The workshops, which aimed at sensitising stakeholders on the role of the security agencies and transport stakeholders in the implementation of the scheme, the features of the new secured ECOWAS Brown Card, and claims procedures and was held at Aflao and Sogakope.

Participants included Transporters, Officers from Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority, and the Ghana Police Service drawn from the various stations within Volta Region.

Opening the workshop, Mr Gabriel Glover said “the Bureau recognizes the role of Transport stakeholders, and the security agencies as partners of the scheme in safeguarding citizens and promoting trade in the sub-region”.

He noted that when a motor vehicle is involved in a road traffic accident, two issues arises, criminal liability and civil liability.

“The insurer’s responsibility is only towards the civil liability, where the brown card comes in. The criminal liability element is for the security agencies to handle and investigate the crime committed and deal with it to its logical conclusion”, he explained.

Mr Glover added that the West Africa Trade Hub in collaboration with the National Road Transport and Transit Facilitation Committee and other stakeholders have recently produced a Driver’s Handbook which are being distributed to drivers and transporters and includes a section on the ECOWAS Brown Card, which drivers should refer to.

He said the Handbook provides information on the Brown Card and what to do in the event of an accident.

“It is therefore incumbent upon the Police Officers to have an in-depth knowledge of the operations of the scheme to enable them effectively handle ECOWAS Brown card cases.

For national security and crime detection, law enforcement agencies such as the Police, Customs and Immigration personnel have a duty to check at our exit and entry points the validity of Brown Cards”, the CEO/General Secretary concluded.

The ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme was established by signing of a Protocol in 1982 by Heads of Governments of the Economic Community of West African States to enhance inter-states road transport.

The Protocol aims at facilitating free movement for the citizens of member states and guaranteeing fair and prompt compensation for damages suffered by victims of road accidents involving international roads users.  It also aims at promoting trade and Trans-human settlement in the sub region.

The seminar also revealed that in accordance with the Road Traffic Act, 2004 Act 683, Section 127, a person who issues or tenders a certificate of insurance which is false, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding 50 penalty units or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 8 months or both.