MASLOC boss faces legal action over rickshaws

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) Ghana, under the Office of the President, Mr Stephen Amoah, faces legal action following an advertisement he allegedly caused to be published in the Wednesday, September 25, 2019 edition (page 44) of the Daily Graphic.

Headed “INVITATION TO TENDER, PROCUREMENT OF GOODS”, the said advert sought invitation for tenders for the procurement of Auto Rickshaws, commonly called Pragya locally.

However, one Osei Kwabena, a Road Safety Advocate, has threatened to seek legal redress in the event of the MASLOC boss’ failure to go by the tenets of the law and withdraw the said advert, because it is an illegality.

Osei Kwabena reminded the MASLOC head that a suit initiated by himself and Road Safety Advocates, Ghana (RoSAG) on the very subject was pending before the Human Rights Court in Accra.

He also drew the attention of the MASLOC CEO to Regulation 128 of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012, LI 2180, which provides that the use of a motorcycle or tricycle for a commercial purpose is prohibited.

The Road Traffic Regulations also stipulate that the Licensing Authority SHALL NOT register a motorcycle or tricycle to carry a fare-paying passenger and that a person SHALL NOT use or permit a motorcycle or tricycle over which that person exercises control to be used for commercial purposes except for courier and delivery services.

A person SHALL NOT ride on a motorcycle or tricycle as a fare-paying passenger.

view of the provisions of the law that Osei Kwabena has appealed to the CEO of MASLOC to withdraw the advert as a matter of urgency.

The position of the road safety advocate is premised on the fact he and others are already in court to challenge the “legality of this illegality”.

The petitioner has, since September 25, also drew the attention of the Minister of Transport, the Executive Director of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), the Chairman of the NRSC Board, the Chief Executive of the Driver, Vehicle & Licensing Authority, (DVLA), the Director-General, Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, and the media to the development.

Some MTTD personnel The Chronicle spoke to indicated that such actions by the government functionaries make it difficult to enforce Road Traffic Regulations.

Attempts to get the MASLOC CEO to comment on the position of Osei Kwabena have failed, as his phones ring without an answer.

He has also not responded to SMS and WhatsApp messages inquiring if he was aware of a suit pending before a court of law at the time he placed the advert in the national daily.