Angry drivers to strike over high insurance premium

Ghana Committed Drivers Association (GCDA) has threatened to embark on a nationwide strike on Monday, March 14, 2016 to register their displeasure over what they describe are “excessive increase in insurance premium.”

Ghana Insurance Association (GIA) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) proposed 300% increment of the insurance premium by the Ghana Insurance Association (GIA) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF).

In an interview with Today, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of GCDA, Mr. Francis Appiah, pointed out that all attempts made by drivers to negotiate with the transport ministry to reduce the percentage on the insurance premium has proved futile, hence their action to strike.

“We are not saying government should not increase insurance premium at all but we are calling for a reduction in the percentage on the insurance premium as the said percentage is too high for us,” Mr. Appiah noted.

He disclosed that the forth-coming strike by the transport operators would include all the drivers in the whole nation.

“Every driver will be taking part in this strike. It would not be for those in Accra only or Takoradi, but rather the whole nation,” he stressed.

According to him, the drivers in all parts of the nation will join hands unlike the previous ones where only few drivers participated in the strike.”

Additionally, Mr. Appiah re-affirmed that no driver or vehicle will work on the said day, noting that “all the drivers will stay home and relax just to drive home their point that they are really serious about the reduction of the insurance percentage.”

Speaking to Today, a driver who plies his trade at Abeka-Lapaz in Accra, Mr. Kofi Owusu, said he will gladly join hands with his fellow drivers to strike.

According to Mr. Owusu, he already finds it hard to pay his insurance premium with the meagre sales that he makes and that it will even be more difficult for him to pay should they increase it.

Another driver, Samuel Otoo, also registered his displeasure, saying he does not understand why they do not include them to hear their side of the story whenever they are increasing the percentage of their insurance premium.

“They do not consider us the drivers at all. They don’t respect us. How can they keep on increasing the insurance premium when we can hardly pay the already existing one?” he asked.

The drivers are asking the general public to take note of this development and put needed measures in place to avoid any possible inconveniences that may happen on the said date.