Carl Ashie
GCB BANK Ltd has partnered with the Ghana Driver & Road Safety Foundation to launch a digital road safety platform designed to help reduce the carnage on Ghana’s roads and to promote sustainable transportation.
The platform, named DRIFAN, was developed by the Ghana Driver & Road Safety Foundation (GDRS Foundation) with the backing of the National Road Safety Authority and Driver & Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).
The official launch of DRIFAN, an App, was performed by the United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator, Charles Abani.
Mr Abani was supported by the Projects & Partnerships Director of the GDRS Foundation, Madam Freda Frimpong, Director General of the National Safety Authority; Ing. May Obiri Yeboah, and other dignitaries from the DVLA, Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, representatives of GCB Corporate Affairs and Transport Department and also Goil Company Limited.
The Drifan platform enables road users to contribute to safer roads by capturing and sharing live alerts of road hazards anywhere in the country.
Drifan community members could share alerts of broken-down vehicles at dangerous spots, major road defects, non-functioning traffic signals, and other hazards which could lead to crashes.
Additionally, the Drifan platform provides timely road safety tips and education through videos and other media to drivers and other road users.
The road safety education are delivered in English as well as local languages and constitutes timely contribution to Ghana’s road safety efforts for a number of reasons.
Carl Ashie, Head, Mobile Financial Department of GCB, who represented the Deputy Managing Director of GCB, Operations, Emmanuel Odartey Lamptey, indicated that GCB Bank has over the years partnered stakeholders on Road safety campaigns, as evidenced by partnership with the Ghana Driver & Road Safety Foundation.
“As the largest indigenous bank, our commitment to our country and its heritage, values and future are demonstrated every day through the actions that we take as an organisation. This has not, and will not, change,” he said.
Mr Ashie said as a bank, GCB has embarked on its digital journey and has introduced various services such as instant issuance of cards, Mobile App and Ghana’s first Bank-led Mobile money service -‘G-Money’.
G-Money as a service was launched in 2020 to serve the unbanked population in Ghana and has crossed the 2 million customer mark.
Noting that the Bank looked forward to work with the authority and GPRTU to digitise payments for the association, Mr. Ashie urged all to drive safely and support the initiative, adding “If you have not signed up on the App, do so immediately as we work together to save lives.”