Begoro Co-operative drivers kick against payment of tolls over unfair treatment

Members of the Begoro Central Co-Operative Transport Society Limited have resolved not to pay the statutory tolls to the Fanteakwa-North District Assembly. The drivers operating at the Begoro main transport system say their actions are a result of unfair treatment by members of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU).

At a press conference held in Begoro, the president of the Society, Otuo-Serebuor Kwadwo Bannor, outlined a number of reasons behind their actions.

According to the president, their members are being deprived of the necessary income owed to them due to the actions of the members of the GPRTU who direct commercial vehicles heading towards their station to the GPRTU yard instead.

Otuo-Serebuor said the situation has resulted in physical confrontations between the two sides and subsequent loss of revenue to their drivers, hence their inability to fulfill their financial obligations to the local Assembly.

As part of efforts to address the impasse, a Begoro court has ruled that a loading system be instituted by the Fanteakwa North District Assembly for the transport unions. A subsequent ruling also directed that a separate station be established at the Obooho station for the Co-operative drivers.

However, these efforts have failed to resolve the issues, a situation the president attributes to the reluctance of the GPRTU chairman of the taxi branch to honor invitations for an amicable settlement of the matter.

The president is thus urging the local Assembly to use its powers to institute what it calls an equitable loading system for the taxis at the station or separate the unions to ensure peace.

Otuo-Serebuor, in an interview with the press after the press conference, decried the failure of the assembly to enforce the law.

“The past six years have been full of confrontations and trouble with the court ruling that the assembly institute measures to address the issues by alternating the loading of the vehicles between the GPRTU and co-operative,” said the president.

Despite assurances from the DCE for the area to ensure that the station is divided, this hasn’t been implemented over the past six years.

The situation, he said, has resulted in total chaos and disorder within the transport space. The vice-chairman of the Begoro Central Co-Operative Transport Society, who gave his name as Pinocchio, said the situation not only affects the drivers and unions but passengers as well.

Another driver said the situation affects their fortunes and work. He said, “Drivers are suffering as a result of the situation, passengers don’t come here because there’s disorder, and drivers load anywhere.”

The group marched to the premises of the Fanteakwa-North District Assembly, where it handed over a petition addressed to the DCE.

Meanwhile, Sofina Saddiq, Deputy Director of the Begoro District Assembly, who received the petition on behalf of the DCE, promised to hand it over to him for the necessary action.

He, however, appealed to the drivers to reconsider the two-week ultimatum given to the Assembly to enable it to adequately address the issues raised.