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A Ghanaian company, Traccova Ghana Limited, is partnering with Iveco Bus of Italy to introduce the Iveco range of buses meant for the African terrain, to Ghana. The Managing Director of Traccova, Mr Ibrahim Anyars, told the Daily Graphic at a forum in Accra to introduce the Iveco range of buses to the major stakeholders in the transport sector, that the company would introduce a wide range of buses into the country with an ultimate vision to assemble them locally in future. He said a local assembly plant would help commercial vehicle owners to replace their vehicles with the modern �Iveco daily� to provide comfort and safety to commuters in the country. �We have realized that most transport companies in the country have problems with maintaining their buses after selling them and that is why Traccova is coming in with our vast experience and technical support to help fill that gap.� He said road transport was the most dominant means of transportation in Ghana, carrying over 94 per cent of the freight and passengers, and whereas many cities and towns could be reached by �trotro�, inter-regional transport was normally characterised by bigger buses. Mr Anyars noted that though there had been significant investments in the road transport sector, there was still room for improvement and expansion, and that the time had come for a change in the transport system in the country with advanced and modern buses. �The school child, the market woman and the private passenger must travel with ease, inter-city connectivity must be with ease and comfort and we are here to do just that with advance and modern busses,� he said. A major feature of the collaboration is after sales services to ensure safety on our roads. Italian ambassador The Italian Ambassador to Ghana, Ms Laura Carpini, said one of the principles that underpinned modern societies was the free transportation of people and goods, which also boosts trade and economic relations between people and countries. �Today, a high number of people are moving from one place to another and therefore high quality vehicles are even of greater importance. Smart transport therefore is not only cheaper because it reduces pollution and enables societies make savings on their fuel costs, but the number of car accidents also reduces,� she said. She was optimistic that Iveco had all the requirements that were needed to build a strong presence in the country and to contribute to transport safety in Ghana. Iveco products Iveco products include commercial vehicles, buses and coaches and special vehicles meant for defence and firefighting. Mr Anyars said Tracova was the sole dealer of Iveco buses in Ghana and was formed basically to help bridge the transportation gap in the country by providing improved buses.