The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has kicked against what it says “huge spot fines” fixed for road traffic infractions and is demanding a review.
It said although it fully endorsed all measures designed to ensure sanity on the roads and prevent accidents, what was contained in the spot fine law, were on the high side and must be given a second look.
Mr Stephen Okudjeto, the General Secretary of the GPRTU, expressed the sentiment at a regional welfare meeting of the Ashanti branch of the Union in Kumasi.
It provided the platform for the education of the members on the spot fine law.
Mr Okudjeto said many of the commercial drivers were not earning enough and would simply not be able to afford the fines as they now stand.
He said they were going to be put out of business which could worsen the country’s unemployment situation.
He also appealed to the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) to make every effort to maintain all roads that are in bad shape.
The dangerous nature of some of them, he said, was a major contributory factor to the high rate of road crashes.
He used the occasion to advise drivers to obey road traffic laws and ensure that their vehicles had all the safety devices functioning before they put them on the road.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Andrew Angwubotoge Awuni, Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), said what the spot fine law sought to do was not to take money from drivers but to assist change attitudes, which were unhelpful to the fight to bring down accidents.
