The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) says the current transport difficulties facing commuters are the result of mechanical breakdowns and high vehicle maintenance costs, not a deliberate attempt by drivers to create artificial shortages.
Deputy PRO of the union, Samuel Amuah, said many commercial vehicles are off the road because owners cannot afford repairs, leading to fewer cars available during peak hours.
“Most of the vehicles are parked at the workshops,” he said in an interview on Metro TV’s Good Afternoon Ghana. On Thursday, January 15
“You see vehicles being parked for months, for years, because they find it very difficult to repair them.”
Mr Amuah rejected claims by government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu that some drivers were intentionally avoiding designated loading points to create scarcity and later charge higher fares.
“This is our business. We can’t buy vehicles and then ask the drivers to park their cars and stop them from picking passengers,” he said.
“At the end of the day, where are they going to get their daily bread from?”
According to the GPRTU, the union has consistently raised concerns about the declining number of operational vehicles and has called on government to support the private sector with interventions similar to those offered to state-run transport services.
“We requested from the government that the government should even assist us by getting more vehicles to run,” Mr Amuah said.
“They want to bring some buses for Ayalolo and Metro bus. What about the private sector?”
He also faulted government for failing to consult the union before attributing the transport challenges to alleged misconduct by drivers.
“Our expectation was that they should have invited us to a roundtable meeting for us to discuss and find the solution,” he said.
While distancing the union from claims of artificial shortages, Mr Amuah said the GPRTU does not support arbitrary fare hikes and has taken steps to caution drivers against overcharging commuters.
“We are seriously against that,” he said, referring to drivers who charge beyond approved fares.
The union maintains that addressing the transport challenges will require practical support for vehicle owners, rather than accusations of deliberate sabotage by operators.
