Tema, The Tema Regional branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has called on the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) to sack floating drivers from the metropolis.
Mr Ben Dodu, Tema-GPRTU Welfare Chairman, speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview, warned the motoring public against patronizing the services of floating drivers.
Floating vehicles are taxis and ‘trotros’ that had not registered to operate from any of the recognized bus terminals in the area and, therefore, picked and drop off passengers at unauthorized places.
He said floating drivers did not have any organizational identity and urged the TMA to deal with such illegal drivers.
He appealed to the floating drivers to join any of the organizations such as the Drivers’ Union, Cooperative and Concern to assist in the development of Ghana.
He said although joining an association was voluntary, drivers must conform to the rules and regulations to be able to operate within the metropolis.
Responding to the issues of floating drivers, Mr Felix Mensah Nii Anang-La, TMA Municipal Chief Executive, told the GNA that the Assembly and Metropolitan Security Council had formed a Task Force to deal with the issue of floating cars.
He said the TMA did not recognize any group called Floating Drivers but had decided to engage them to look for a station or union to become part of an organized group.
Meanwhile, in August 2018, the GNA reported that the TMA had started the process to flush out floating commercial vehicles as part of measures to ensure discipline on the major roads of the Metropolis.
The Assembly initiated the process to constitute a task force of representatives of the transport unions, TMA metro guards and the Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service.
In a related development, some commercial drivers, plying the Tema to Prampram and Afienya roads, recently demonstrated against the TMA City Guards over alleged extortion and unlawful arrest at their loading points.
Some of the demonstrators told the Ghana News Agency at Tema as they marched through some principal streets to press home their concern that, they were tired of continuous harassment.
They said because there was unbearable hardship in the system, the payment of frequent charges was becoming unacceptable.
TMA Head of the Metro Guards, Ms Vivian Ocran, told the GNA that the fine would serve as a deterrent for the commercial drivers’ indiscipline, indiscriminate parking and picking of passengers.
She advised the drivers to join the unions at the various stations to operate within the law.
Source: Ghana News Agency
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