Bob ROCO Romeo

Yesterday, Wednesday March 26, the latest victim of the global Coronavirus pandemic in Ghana was infected via a parcel delivered from the United Kingdom. What this means is the virus can stay on surfaces longer than staying in the air. Every car or vehicle has significant surfaces and therefore, these surfaces could be major source of transmitters of the virus. This means, washing and cleaning your car before setting off takes on added premium. One of the main parts of attention to consider is the interior of your vehicle. There are various surfaces in the vehicle that need special consideration. For Trotros, taxis and other commercial vehicles, interior of the cars should be sanitised regularly. You know why? Hundreds of passengers use these vehicles on a daily basis and one cannot help but touch the interior of the vehicles. Even if you are driving your own vehicle without carrying any passengers, you should still clean your car because you just never know.   Speak...

President Nana Akufo-Addo met transport operators and owners to find ways by which they can modify the existing public transport policy on Tuesday, 24 March 2020. After the engagement, commercial buses have decided to reduce the number of passengers they carry per row by one from today, Thursday, 26 March as part of efforts to ensure social distancing in the fight against the  Coronavirus  outbreak. This means buses that carry three on normal days will now carry two per row while those who take four per row will do three. Since Ghana has been recording increased cases of the pandemic, there have been calls for sweeping reforms in various sectors of the country's economy. Prominent among the calls is the reduction of the number of passengers that commercial buses (trotro) carry per row in order to observe the social distancing policy in public vehicles. The Ghana Private Road Transport Union is also calling on the government to reduce fuel prices for commercial...

BMW Club Ghana, earlier this month, has shown commitment again by donating a lawn mower and other items to the Ada East District Hospital as part of its activities to celebrate their 2nd Anniversary themed: "Beyond the BMW Experience." As part of the anniversary celebration, the event which was held in Ada was supported by Life Healthcare Medical, Optical & Dental Clinic. The donation event, was held concurrently with Drive Tours (DTs), a quarterly activity of the club during which they embark on a long distance drive as a form of exercise and for fun. The President of BMW Club Ghana, Benjamin Kwadwo Oppong, indicated that the club has officially accepted and has been certified by the African BMW Club. “As a car club, driving forms part of our major activities which is dubbed Drive Tours. So, we drive on long distance journey and tour the country which is also a form of tourism and now, it has become a quarterly activity of...

SMT Ghana, the official distributor of Volvo Construction Equipment, Volvo Trucks and Volvo Penta in Ghana has introduced the all new Volvo B8R bus, that provides the safest, most reliable and most environmentally-friendly features unto the Ghanaian market. ‘Made to just keep running’, Volvo Buses is taking a major step forward with its new chassis with increased safety, fuel efficiency and life cycle cost optimization which is an important improvements and opportunities for Ghana. The new Volvo B8R represents Volvo’s commitment to the public/ intercity transport and coach segment across the world that invest in safety with the latest Volvo technology known as the Volvo’s Electronic Stability Program (ESP). Welcoming guests at the launch which was held at SMT Ghana’s head office located in Accra at the South Industrial Area, Mr. Alex Dutamby, Managing Director-SMT Ghana expressed delight in the introduction of the new Volvo bus that implores the latest technologica...

   Ernestina Abeh, Managing Director - Enterprise Insurance The Global Credit Rating Agency of South Africa (GCR) has upgraded Enterprise Insurance Company Limited’s (EIC) credit rating from A+ to AA-. The upgrade of EIC’s rating is a reflection of consistent good corporate governance practices and sustained strength in underwriting capabilities. This has led to an improvement in capitalization as well as fulfilling our claim payment obligations quickly due to high liquidity. These attributes and more qualifies Enterprise Insurance to have been rated higher than the previous years and among its peers in the General Insurance industry. GCR traces its origins back to 1996 when it was established as the African arm of the New York Stock Exchange-listed Duff & Phelps. In South Africa, GCR is registered as a Credit Rating Services Provider by the Financial Services Conduct Authority. GCR is also recognized as an eligible External Credit Assessment Inst...

Parliament has passed the Customs bill (Amendment) into law to regulate the country’s automobile industry. On Thursday, March 12, 2020, the Parliament of Ghana passed an amendment of the Customs Law, which bans the import of vehicles that have been involved in accidents, to help the automobile industry in the country. The ban affects vehicles that are over 10 years of age as well as those with visible damages. It also seeks to provide incentives for automobile manufacturers and assemblers in the country, as well as increase the import duty on specific motor vehicles and provide import duty exemptions for security agencies. Automobile giants such as Toyota, Volkswagen, Suzuki, Nissan Motors, Sinotruk, among others, have in recent times signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with government. They have all expressed interest in setting up assembly plants here in Ghana, which will in turn boost the country’s industrial growth. But the proposal to ban these vehicles ha...

The coronavirus outbreak continues to impact us all in our various places. New cases are reported daily in different countries around the world. Previously, all suspected cases reported in West Africa were negative; however, the tables seem to have turned. The disease’s spread has been rapid, and institutions have the responsibility of providing education and creating awareness about it. To this end, the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and other trade unions need to organise engagements for public transport sector operators and all stakeholders as to what the outbreak means for us all. In order to best serve the transport sector’s needs, we must have strict measures to serve as guidelines for public transport operators in the country. Safety is a top priority for all users of public transport. Transport systems are essential for living and daily mobility routines. As moving around our communities is vital, it is very important to take safety precautions. It i...

The Hyundai Atos has emerged as winner in the Budget Car category in CAR Magazine's Top 12 Best Buys 2020 awards. CAR Magazine’s annual Top 12 Best Buys, which is the publication's esteemed guide to the top contenders in each of the twelve award categories, were presented at a gala dinner in Johannesburg this week. In order to be eligible for the judging process, only vehicles that the majority of the eight-member CAR editorial team has driven are considered. The editorial team factor in the findings of road tests and driving impressions that they have published up until the April 2020 edition of the magazine. The CAR team also consider model ranges, not individual derivatives, except in the Budget and Performance Car segments. In the other categories an entire range is evaluated, not merely one outstanding example. Cars are also evaluated against their direct rivals in their classes and then judged on their relative levels of excellence. Package, pers...

The African Fashion Foundation and The Lotte Accra have collaborated to create a project that aims to empower, equip and encourage young street females by pairing them up with some great talent in the fashion accessory and garment industry in West Africa for a skills exchange programme. With the support of the Adonai Child Development Foundation (ACDF) the aim is to present a collaborative new collection. The young street women (Kayayei) will be working with the designer’s to be trained in key sewing and production skills all whilst contributing to a collection that will be showcased internationally. This project is a social impact venture to empower the Kayayei woman and to show a way that fashion can be used for good. This inaugural collection will kickstart an ongoing partnership with The Adonai Child Development Foundation and the Kayayei women to equip them with key skills and reintegrate them back into the community. In a recent report that included a focused group discu...

Ghana needs strict measures on the manner in which motorists ply the streets in the country and the endorsement of the ban of accident vehicles from abroad. Accra and some parts of main Kumasi central, there are often severe traffic congestion that a short trip from point A to B becomes a nightmare. A journey shorter than 100 kilometres can take about three and half hours. That happens to be about two hours longer than a flight from South Africa to Ghana. I can boldly tell you that: welcome to traffic capital after years of reaching 63 rd Independence of Ghana. Government needs to look at the traffic-style we live in, where the roads are bunged and millions of commuters are choked with frustration about the daily hassle in our commercial capitals as a country noted as the gateway to Africa. Disgruntled commuter, Anny Osabutey is a typical example. He recently posted an alarming issue on his social media wall: “Left my house by 5:30 a.m. and got to work at 9:10 a....

On June 24, 2020 Alfa Romeo will reach an important milestone in its remarkable history: 110 years in business. During that century-plus span, Alfa Romeo engineers and designers have relentlessly pursued innovation, while always remaining true to the Brand’s DNA. Over the years, this DNA – the perfect combination of sportiness and elegance – has created not only some of the most iconic vehicles ever built, but also vehicles that are right at home both on the racetrack and in any beauty contest. To mark its 110th birthday, Alfa Romeo will amaze its fans and all motorists with a vehicle that fully represents a return to the brand’s origins, while paying tribute to one of the most emblematic vehicles of Alfa Romeo: Giulia GTA. A set of initials with a legendary feel: GTA The acronym GTA stands for “Gran Turismo Alleggerita” ( alleggerita being the Italian term for “lightened”), and it originated in 1965 with the Giulia Sprint GTA, a specific version derived from the S...

Hyundai Motor Company has announced the appointment of Mr Bang Sun Jeong as its new vice president of the Middle East and Africa region. Based in Dubai's regional headquarters in the United Arab Emirates, Jeong will oversee the day-to-day operations and will be responsible for strengthening Hyundai's presence and brand value across the Middle East and Africa region. Jeong has accumulated a wealth of experience at Hyundai Motor Company that will help maximize results in his new position. In his previous role, he had served as Hyundai's Vice President of Asia Pacific, Africa and Middle East Operations Division and also held the position of Executive Director: Sales and Marketing for Hyundai Motor India. He also held positions in Poland and Turkey. Jeong said: “I am delighted to be named as the new Vice President of Middle East and Africa for Hyundai Motor Company. It is a company that I know very well, having gained vast knowledge of the brand during my ca...

If you are unaware, then now you know. There are two new stars in Fiat vehicles now. The iconic Fiat 500 which was outdoored years ago, globally, continues to rack up successes and now the stylish car has two new top-of-the-range trim levels: the 500 Star and 500 Rockstar . The iconic Fiat 500 was reborn in 2007 to "brighten up" the daily lives and streets of the whole world, becoming a genuine, unique, useful solution to international urban mobility needs. It has enjoyed a history studded with commercial successes and seemingly isn’t going out of fashion any time soon. In 2018 – in its eleventh year of production – the Fiat 500 achieved its best-ever annual sales figures with almost 194,000 units registered (total for Fiat 500 and Abarth 595).   Not forgetting that it has now been the FCA Group's best-selling model for two years, as well as being the current leader of the city-car segment in Europe. The Fiat 500 also spawned a whole family bearing its name...