Your proposed LI would not favor our operations-GPRTU to Road Safety Authority
“But where our members did not understand is where the GPRTU is asking our members to register with them and renew every two years"
Some executives of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) have expressed their discontentment about a draft Legislative Instrument (LI) proposed by the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA).
The NRSA is sponsoring the draft Legislative Instrument, intending to reduce road crashes in the country.
When passed, the LI would help to advance the enforcement of provisions in the National Road Safety Act 2019, Act 993, and regulate road transport operators and road users in the country.
Members of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union see the coming of the LI as an attempt to destroy their businesses and therefore are opposed to portions of them.
General Secretary of the GPRTU, Godfred Abulbire said on Thursday that portions of the document would not favor their operations as drivers. He spoke at a consultative meeting held at the Ghana Shippers Authority.
He was particular about a clause in the LI which seemingly gives the NRSA supervisory authority over their branches and unions.
According to him, “it will have to take the National Road Safety Authority, additional efforts to make us understand that particular clause, that element of their re-registration of the unions, and registration of the branches and the individual driver operators with them.”
“All the issues in that particular draft document, from the first page to the middle, are just old things they are only activating to make sure the compliance rate becomes more visible.
“But where our members did not understand is where the GPRTU is asking our members to register with them and renew every two years.
He, therefore, indicated that they would go back, re-study the document and write to the GPRTU and give their inputs.
Mr.Abulbire further hinted that the Executives would send their legal opinion on the LI in the next two weeks to the GPRTU.
The Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority, May Obiri-Yeboah, has meanwhile called for cool heads to prevail, adding that the grievances of the unions would be duly considered and addressed.
“We didn’t come to fight at all, can we be in the transport sector without transport operators? It is impossible, so we are not here to let you lose your job.
“Issues would come up, but there are certain cases where people do not want change and therefore when a change is coming, that will compel them to do something, they will still resist it.
She ended by indicating that the Authority will listen to its stakeholders including the GPRTU and take suggestions in the Nation’s interest.
However, she could not give a specific time when the LI would be passed.
