GPRTU negotiating with stakeholders on new regulations

The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) of the Ghana Trades Union Congress has said it is negotiating with the relevant authorities on the best ways to implement the new driving regulations on the roads.

Alhaji Nana Yaw Manu, the National Chairman of the GPRTU, who announced this at the Northern Regional Council Meeting of GPRTU in Tamale, on Monday, said this was to ensure that the concerns of drivers were considered before the regulations were implemented.

The meeting, attended by all 32 branches of the GPRTU in the Northern Region, was to elect new regional executives to steer its affairs for the next four years.

The Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA) is set to begin implementing new traffic regulations, which amongst others, stipulates that one must be literate to acquire a driving license in the country.

Some drivers opposed to the new regulations, which would take effect from today June 1, 2015, went on strike refusing to transport passengers to their destinations mainly in Accra and Ashaiman.

Alhaji Yaw Manu said the GPRTU was seriously negotiating with the Ministry of Transport and other relevant authorities to ensure that the interests of the drivers were considered before implementing the new regulations.

He urged drivers to disregard the strike action over the new regulations, saying that, the GPRTU did not sanction any such strike action.

Alhaji Yaw Manu said the GPRTU was also in talks with some Italian and German companies to supply it with buses to distribute to its members to improve public transportation in the country.

He said the GPRTU was also training between 40,000 to 50,000 drivers across the country to minimize accidents on the roads.

Superintendent Mr Nicholas Ofosuhene, the Northern Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department of the Ghana Police Service, said accidents involving motorbikes were increasing in the region and called on road-users to comply with road traffic regulations to reduce the trend.

Mr Daniel Osei Bio, the Northern Regional Manager of DVLA, said the number of registered vehicles in the country was increasing leading to congestion on the roads and called on drivers to be extra careful to avoid accidents.

Meanwhile, all the 32 branches of GPRTU in the region nominated and voted to retain all four regional executives, which included Alhaji Amadu Lamusah, Regional Chairman, Alhaji Abubakari Alhassan, Regional Vice Chairman, Mr Henry Kasta Hafix, Regional First Trustee and Chief Seidu Amadu, Regional Second Trustee, all of whom had been sworn-in.

The elections were supervised by the Northern Regional Office of the Electoral Commission.