UT Financial Services, on Sunday presented keys to 114 new mini buses valued at GH¢3.9 million to the Aflao branch of the GPRTU under a hire purchase agreement. Another batch of 50 such buses would be presented to the branch in due course under the same agreement. This would bring to a total of 164 buses earmarked for the branch at a total cost of GH¢6 million under the deal. Speaking at the ceremony, Captain Budu Koomson (Rtd) Director of Operations of the UT Financial Services, said the deal was under the company’s auto loan scheme for organizations which were finding it difficult to get the banks to help. He commended the Volta Regional Branch of the GPRTU for being the first to access the facility for which it paid 15 percent of the cost and hoped other branches would take up the challenge. Captain Koomson said UT plans to put 1,000 new mini buses on the road by 2011 as its contribution to driving the transport sector of the economy. “We are incubating something beautiful under the auto loan scheme in the Volta Region for the entire country,” he said. Captain Koomson called on drivers and transport operators to ensure regular maintenance and care for the vehicles and good customer care to passengers, which many service providers in the country lacked. He appealed to the government to fix the roads in the region to prolong the lifespan of the vehicles and encourage investments in the road transport sector. Captain Koomson asked the public to show interest in the shares floated by the company. Mr Kofi Dzamesi, Volta Regional Minister, who inaugurated the buses, commended UT for its intervention and hoped this would improve the financial position of the beneficiaries and enhance travelling comfort. He said the UT’s gesture was a show of hope in the economy and called for sanity in the road sector through refresher courses for drivers and enforcement of road safety regulations. Mr Moses Davor, Volta Regional Chairman of the GPRTU, bemoaned the frequent changes of design of drivers’ license from one form to another which results in extra cost to drivers. He also appealed to government to reduce import duty on mini buses. Mr Benard Dery, Volta Regional Police Commander, who chaired the function, said highway robbery had reduced in the region due to vigilance and called for greater collaboration with the police to ensure sanity. Source: GNA