Greater Accra Minister orders drivers to move into designated stations or risk sanctions

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Henry Quartey has directed Transport Union Executives in the region to help move commercial drivers to their designated terminals to allow for free-flow of vehicular and human traffic in the city or risk sanctions.

Speaking at a stakeholder engagement with Transport Union Executives at the Accra City Hall on Tuesday, the Minister gave a 2-week ultimatum to the commercial drivers to adhere to the directive while bemoaning the increasingly alarming indiscipline acts of drivers.

According to him these acts of discipline causes a lot of traffic in the city which in most cases prevented the timely arrival of ambulances in hospitals at the peril of lots of valuable lives.

Mr Quartey said commercial vehicles must load from the terminals and not under flyovers, overheads and bus stop to ease vehicular traffic in and around the city.

"What we are going to do is to decongest Accra of vehicles on the streets. I know you all have "Trotro stations". PROTOA, GPRTU should all meet with the drivers. We need your help and support. We did a little project at Madina Zongo junction and everyone is happy about it. The road is free now", he emphasised.

He strongly posited that a court order would be secured to seize vehicles of drivers who are caught indulging in all forms of vehicular infractions that induce traffic, cautioning that offenders who fail to pay the fine within the stipulated time would have their vehicles auctioned and sold.

" We will auction your vehicle when you don't pay and I mean it so let us all help solve this problem with the support from AMA and other sister assemblies. Please help us by doing the right thing", he said.

With regards to the apprehending and sanctioning of would-be culprits, he bemoaned the culture where a call is placed to a 'big man' anytime there is an act of indiscipline being perpetuated in the city warning that no biases would be entertained.

"I expect you all to talk to your people. Nobody should place a call when you are caught disobeying the laws because the calls will not work, “he averred.

The Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of Accra, Mohammed Adjei Sowah who was present at the meeting in a remark expressed profound happiness over the move by the Regional Minister to engage the Transport Union Executives on halting the activities of commercial drivers at unapproved places which had become a menace declared his full support for the exercise.

"...so I am happy that there is this meeting and I will be following the direction of the Regional Minister on this matter. For once with his leadership let us resolve the matters among your transport unions, it’s extremely important that as he sets the tone we must follow..."

The Mayor of Accra was hopeful that with the cooperation of stakeholders, the Minister's dream of relieving Accra of heavy vehicular traffic would be a realisation.

"The Regional Minister says that Accra must work and has to work with the stakeholders. We’ve done our bit and with the renewed leadership we believe that with your cooperation we will get there."

Some executives of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the Progressive Transport Owners’ Association (PROTOA) who operate from various spots in the region during the question and answer session, raised concerns that some security officials are one way or the other involved in vehicular infractions which makes it difficult to deal with the culprits when apprehended and therefore appealed to the authorities to discharge their duties without fear or favour with regards to the implementation of the said agenda.

They also promised the Minister of their full cooperation and support.