Mr Benjamin Eshun, a 40-year-old taxi driver plying between Tema Community One and Kpone, has taken it upon himself to provide free nose masks to passengers boarding his vehicle.
Mr Eshun, who has been a professional driver for the past 13 years, said the initiative was to protect the passengers from inhaling the terrible dust on the TOR-Kpone Road and contracting its related diseases.
He told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview that the heavy dust that emanates from the untarred trunk road could trigger health issues in some people, especially those with allergy and respiratory issues.
He said the caution from the Environmental Protection Agency to the public to protect themselves against the recent dusty environment was also a motivation for him to distribute nose masks to protect his passengers.
In a statement dated February 6, 2024, the EPA urged citizens to cultivate the habit of wearing nose masks and avoid engaging in activities that pollute the air, stating that ‘Use pollution masks where
necessary, desist from open burning of waste and other materials, sprinkle water on dusty surfaces before sweeping to reduce dust emissions, and vehicle users should reduce speeding on untarred roads to reduce dust emissions.’
He advised Ghanaians not to downplay such information but rather to take health-related issues seriously to protect themselves against preventable diseases.
He also appealed to the Ministry of Road and the contractors working on the TOR-Kpone road to fast-track work as the dust on it was unbearable.
The 7.2-kilometre Tema Industrial Area to Kpone Link Road, which has been reshaped as work continues on it, is always dusty, with thick dust being deposited on vehicles as they move on it.
Passengers had to cover their hair with handkerchiefs and scarves to prevent their hair from absorbing the dust.
Source: Ghana News Agency