The Greater Accra Regional branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has disclosed that it has not received any laid down strict directives from any high authority to regulate activities of drivers at the various stations to aid in the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak in Ghana.
According to the Union, none of the authorities under the transport services has issued any directives that can be enforced at lorry parks to help check the spread of the Coronavirus among drivers and passengers.
The Industrial Relations Officer of the Union, Abass Ibrahim Moro, said this in an exclusive interview with ghananewsonline.com.gh in Accra.
He said though the President directed the Minister of transport to collaborate with the GPRTU and other organizations in the transport sector to develop strict regulations to curb the spread of COVID-19, they are yet to receive any notification on that from the Minister.
He said, the union has taken its own steps to educate and sensitize drivers on COVID-19 in accordance with the directives and guidelines from the Ministry of Health (MoH).
“Without the directives, you can’t enforce anything. So we have educated and sensitized them on the COVID-19 and asked all to use the hand sanitizer, including protective measures to ensure the safety of both drivers and passengers,” he stated.
The Industrial Relations Officer therefore appealed to the government to come to their aid with the best protective measures and materials that would ensure that COVID-19 is not spread through the commercial transport system of the country.
He added that, if government can compensate drivers to enable them reduce the number of passengers to create enough space in the commercial vehicle, it would help minimize the rate of infection and address the level of spreading of the virus among passengers.
“We took the decision to reduce the number of passengers but realized that it would affect sales and other items, so we withdrew it, but if government can come to our aid and compensate drivers to reduce their intake of passengers, it will go a long way to help curb and address the spreading of the virus,” he noted.
He urged both drivers and passengers at the various stations to abide by the guidelines and directives given by the MoH in order to stay safe.
Meanwhile, Abass Moro has praised the government for the reducing fuel prices, but indicated that the union has no plan to reduce transport fares. He said fuel price reduction is not the only thing that affects the transport system.
Source: Eric Nii Sackey || ghananewsonline.com.gh