The Sofoline branch chairman of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Mr. Albert Boamah has issued a fourteen (14) day ultimatum to the Ashanti Regional Police Command, Ashanti Regional MTTD, and the Kwadaso Municipal Assembly to ensure the enforcement of the road traffic regulation 121 of L.I 2180 or face him in court.
The road traffic regulations (L.I 2180) were made under section 133 of the Road Traffic Law Act, 2004 (Act 683) in 2012, with seven (7) sections underneath, one of which being the regulations for commercial vehicles-regulations 121. It stipulates that;
(1) A person shall not operate a commercial vehicle unless that person holds a road transport operator’s license.
(2) A person shall not operate as a commercial vehicle driver unless that person id employed by or belongs to a recognized commercial road transport organization.
(3) The Licensing Authority shall issue guidelines for the formation of commercial road transport organizations.
(4) Each commercial road transport organization shall be licensed by the Minister or the accredited agent of the Minister if that commercial road transport organization satisfies the conditions specified in these regulations.
(5) Each road transport operator or organization shall have the requisite operator’s license as provided by the Minister or the accredited agent of the Minister.
(6) A person who operates or drives a commercial vehicle in contravention of sub-regulation (1), (2), (4) or (5) commits an offense and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than twenty-five penalty units or to a term of imprisonment of not more than thirty days or to both.
Speaking to adwoaadubianews.com, Mr Boamah lamented how unlicensed commercial drivers, popularly called ‘waawaa drivers’ flout these regulations without any regard to the law.
“If this LI is there and the Ghana MTTD police is sitting there idly, looking at all these recalciterant drivers, those without driving license, if you are not up to 25 years you cannot drive a commercial car, and these drivers are on our roads, drving commmercial cars without anybody asking them. Half of the road has been used as a lorry terminal.”
The aggrieved chairman who believes security officials are not enforcing the law because of the coming election said “we’ve given them 14 days to sack all those drivers on the road, we don’t want to see them again after 14 days because it is mandatory for the MTTD to do such things. So if they are not willing, they are not prepared, they will not do it or if the politicians have held their hands back, after 14 days we will meet at the court for the interpretation of this regulation 121 of L.I 2180.
Meanwhile counsel for the GPRTU chairman has already issued all the necessary parties with letters and are ready to meet them in court after 14 days.
Suraya Alidu Malititi
