John-Peter Amewu, the Minister for Railways Development, has clarified that the state will not be responsible for repairing Ghana’s new train that was involved in an accident during a test run at Abortia in the Volta Region.
According to the Railways Minister, Ghana will not be responsible for the costs of fixing a malfunctioning train.
“The train has been sent to the maintenance yard in Tema, where Poland engineers have assessed the extent of damage. Plans are well underway to fix it,” Amewu stated during an interview.
He assured the public that although the train was involved in an accident, it remained technically sound, featuring a strong electronic system and engine.
The damage mainly impacts the front of the train, necessitating replacement of parts.
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When questioned about who would pay for the repairs, Amewu emphasized that Ghana had not yet taken possession of the train when the incident occurred.
“There was no transfer of ownership. Which means the supplier was still responsible for the train. We’ll get ownership when the government has made the full payment which we haven’t done yet,” he noted.
He added, “So Ghana is not going to bear the cost of repairing the train involved in the accident during the test ride.”
He also provided insights on the timeline for the repair process, estimating it could take two to three weeks to complete.
The Railways Ministry released a statement last Thursday explaining the circumstances of the train accident.
The ministry stated that, despite the emergency braking system being activated promptly, the train could not come to a full stop before colliding with the truck.
After the accident, truck driver Abel Dzidotor was sentenced to six months in jail. He pleaded guilty to three of the four charges against him, which included inconsiderate driving and causing unlawful damage.
Four more persons have also been picked up by the police for their alleged roles in the accident.
