Withdraw circular letter on the use of lorry parks -PROTOA

Kumasi, Dec 19, GNA - The Progressive Transport Owners Association (PROTOA) has called on the government to nullify the circular letter written by Mr Kwamena Ahwoi, former Minister of Local Government and rural Development under the NDC government which gave the Ghana private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) the sole right to operate at lorry parks in the country.

According to PROTOA, this had become necessary in view of the fact that the GPRTU backed by some district assemblies in some parts of the country were still using the circular letter to prevent other transport operators from using the lorry parks.

A press release issued in Kumasi on Wednesday and signed by Mr M.A. Appiah, the acting National Chairman of PROTOA, wondered why in this era of a new dispensation where there was freedom of association, a section of transport operators should be barred from using the lorry parks.

The statement said every transport operator paid tax to the government and should therefore have peace and access to work at any lorry park in the country.

It said for instance that, the Ashanti Regional Co-ordinating Council, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) and the Transport Commission having recognised PROTOA as a transport association, allocated portion of the Neoplan station at Asafo market to it to operate.

However, the statement said, this was being vehemently resisted by the GPRTU for no apparent reason and called on the Ghana Transport Co-ordinating Council to sit up and let the private transport operators feel their presence in the transport industry.

The statement called for the control of the proliferation of transport associations operating at Kejetia, Kumasi and said while PROTOA believed in the freedom of association, the activities of these groups should be brought under control.

It advocated the establishment of at least one driving school in each regional capital for training and refresher courses drivers for drivers.

The statement appealed to the KMA to quickly resettle the wood sellers on its land at Akwatialine so that the association could take possession of the place for the building of its offices. It commended the government for the assistance given the police and other sections of the private sector and appealed to the authorities to extend the same assistance to the private transport sector to enhance their operations and help revamp the economy.