New legislation to compel commercial drivers to join unions

A new road law is to compel all commercial drivers to belong to transport unions.

The Legislative Instrument (LI) 2180 will also outlaw the use of motorbikes as commercial vehicles.

Speaking at a transport operators’ forum at the Achimota Terminal in Accra on Friday, Dzifa Aku Ativor, Minister for Transport, also disclosed that accidents that occur in the country are mostly as a result of bad behaviour on the part of motorists.

“More than 80 per cent of the accidents that happen on our roads is as a result of human behavior,” she stated.

“If we all embark on attitudinal change, we can arrest the carnage on our roads,” she added. “We drive beyond the acceptable speed limits. Our appeal to you is that as union leaders, your responsibility is to make sure that drivers do the right thing.”

Ms Ativor stressed that government is committed to helping drivers secure their own buses for business.

Acting Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union, Robert Sabbah, condemned the act of indiscipline among some drivers.

Saying "The unfortunate practices are unjustified and inappropriate and must be condemned by all right-thinking members of the society. "We in the GPRTU condemn these acts in no uncertain terms. The offenders must bow down their heads in shame."

GBC