Gov’t procures 200 taxi cabs for youth

Government through the Ghana Youth Employment Entrepreneur Development Agency (GYEEDA) has procured 200 brand-new taxis valued at US$3million for distribution to youth interested in the transport business.

This is in fulfillment of government’s promise to reduce poverty and tackle youth unemployment by creating jobs across all sectors of the economy. 

It is being implemented by Time Link Limited, a private transport training company based in Accra. 

The brand-new taxi cabs estimated between GH₵27,000 and GH₵32,000 will be distributed under the “Youth in Driving” module as one of GYEEDA’s interventions to promote self-employment.

The module operates a “work and pay” system,, whereby beneficiaries are given brand-new taxi cabs to work with and pay for within a period of two and half years. 

The beneficiaries under the ‘Youth in Driving’ module are trained and equipped with driving skills as a means to earn regular income to support their families. 

A statement signed by Ruben Adjei, the National Coordinator of ‘Youth in Driving’, said the module forms part of government’s efforts to give skills to the teeming unemployed youth to contribute significantly in the economic development of the country.

Mr. Adjei said apart from employment, the Youth in Driving module is also to enhance urban road transport through the provision of safe and affordable transport services to Ghanaians.

He said, as part of the requirement for the module, selected beneficiaries undergo intensive practical and theoretical training -- after which they are given the taxi cabs to work with. 

According to Mr. Adjei, the training focuses on driver-education, business skills training and grooming to help improve beneficiaries’ knowledge on the road and in the business.  

“We are training the beneficiaries not only to drive, but also own their businesses and be able to manage their finances well to improve their livelihoods.”

Additionally, he said the module has come to help address the numerous challenges faced by taxi drivers at the hands of their car owners, as well as provide safe and affordable transport services to Ghanaians.

“Private car owners are often fond of giving second-hand cars to taxi drivers to work and pay for. However, by the time they finish paying, the cars are left in very bad state -- resulting in frequent breakdowns,” Mr. Adjei said.

He also identified poor incomes; verbal abuse; and misunderstanding due to poor daily sales and car maintenance as humiliations suffered by taxi drivers at the hands of their car owners. 

He noted that the module is timely and indicates government’s understanding and appreciation of the need to create more sustainable jobs in the transport sector for the youth.

He said government recognises the difficulty drivers face in raising about GH¢20,000 to purchase cars to work with; hence, it is stepping in as a guarantor to enable drivers to afford their own cars in the shortest time.

Mr. Adjei said the Youth in Driving module is currently being run on a pilot basis in the Greater Accra Region and will be scaled-up to cover more regions by the end of the year.