Cecil Ebow Garbrah (middle) addressing journalists at the launch. With him are other officials of Toptech
Toptech Transport and Logistics Ghana Limited, a road safety, transport and logistics consulting company, has launched an off-road driving festival for drivers of 4WD vehicles in the country.
Speaking at the launch on Tuesday in Accra, Executive Director of Toptech Transport and Logistics, Cecil Ebow Garbrah said “the festival, which is a day’s programme, shall commence at 9am on August 18, 2016.
“Participants will be treated to live band music as we encounter our first trip in learning to climb the Aburi, Ayi/Mensah steep and rough hills,” he said, adding that the second season of the festival will be held at our training site in the Greater Accra region at a later date.
All participants for the festival, he said, “will be instructed by our seasoned instructors that include our South African counterparts and ex-military instructors of the Ghana Army.”
To allay the fear of potential participants ahead of the festival, he added “our instructors will drive first whilst you listen with rapt attention to the do’s and don’ts in hill climbing.”
He explained that participants will be educated on how to select the appropriate gears to climb and descend a hill.
“The question now is which vehicle can be used to climb steep hills. Many vehicles termed as 4×4s are not full 4× 4.”
According to him, “Toptech’s 4WD festival in off road defensive driving techniques will explain the reasoning behind the techniques and methods taught. Drivers will go through the theoretical and practical driving skills, including drivers’ responsibilities, hazard awareness and others.”
Interested participants are requested to register via www.toptechghana.com at a registration fee of GHC500 and participation fee GHC700.
Over 150 officials of the World Bank from within 40 countries in Africa have reportedly been trained by Toptech to drive these vehicles.
“With our rich experience, the drivers are taught in maneuvering in difficult terrains such as driving in rocky hills and valleys, rough roads, sandy and muddy roads, as well as in very wet conditions like in lagoons,” Mr. Garbrah said.
Toptech Transport and Logistics, a wholly-owned Ghanaian firm operating in Nigeria, Cote d’ Ivoire, began operations about 20 years as Toptech Driving Institute.
BY Melvin Tarlue