Volta GPRTU Chairman averts industrial action

Ho, May 29, GNA - Mr Moses Davor, Volta Regional Chairman of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) on Monday averted what was intended to be an industrial action by taxi drivers in Ho to draw attention to certain grievances.

Mr Davor told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that he was attracted to an unusual number of taxis parked at a filing station near the market and later learnt that they were meeting to decide on the withdrawal of their services, so he prevailed on them to disperse and report at his office.

After hearing their grievances, including the unavailability of a taxi rank in the municipality and uneconomic fares, the GPRTU Regional Chairman promised to lead them to the appropriate authorities to address the issues.

The Volta Regional GPRTU Chairman expressed disappointment at the refusal of the taxi drivers to operate from a site near the commercial vehicle terminus in Ho, only to complain later that it had been taken over by the Metro Mass Transport.

Mr Davor said the GPRTU and other transport unions were in talks with the "appropriate authorities" to arrive at a mechanism for fixing taxi fares in the country and that the problem was not in the Volta Region alone.

He complained about indiscipline in the ranks of taxi drivers in the municipality, many of whom, he said disclaimed the GPRTU and other unions anytime it suited them and without remorse.

Mr Johannes Attah, Spokesperson for the taxi drivers, agreed to call off their intended action and act in concert with the leadership of the GPRTU to address their grievances.

There were disruptions in intra-municipality movement between 0730 and 1030 hours on Monday morning while the taxi drivers were at their meeting as many people stood by the roadside waiting without success for taxis.

Taxi Drivers who defied the order of their leaders to stop work only plied selected routes to avoid meeting their irate colleagues trying to enforce the order to stop work.

By 1100 hours, the situation had normalized and business and movement of people picked up again in the municipality