Bolgatanga-Navrongo-Paga road block is over

Bolgatanga, July 26, GNA – Truck Drivers travelling from Accra to Bolgatanga on Monday, July 25, were obstructed for over four hours, because some Cargo Truck drivers blocked the main ECOWAS trunk road, at the Bolgatanga Axle Weighing Station.

As early as 7000hrs on Monday, the angry Cargo Truck drivers, who were protesting against the high penalty rate charged by the management of the Axle Load Weighing Station at the entrance of Bolgatanga, packed their trucks across the road, making it impossible for vehicles to either enter or leave the Bolgatanga Municipality.

The Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo had to speak with the drivers before they gave up and cleared the road for traffic to flow.

The aggrieved drivers complained that the charges ranging from, 300 Ghana Cedis to 900 Ghana Cedis, slapped on them for over loading, was too much and that they did not understand why the management of the Bolgatanga Axle Load Weighing Station was not as lenient as other Axle Weighing Station Operators, along the same ECOWAS Trunk road.

The Regional Minister however assured them that the matter would be investigated and the necessary measures would be adopted.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga, the Regional MTTU Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police Kwaku Bempeh, said the drivers claimed that once they were made to pay for their load in Accra they were not supposed to pay another fee at the Axle Load Weighing Station on the ECOWAS trunk road at Bolgatanga.

DSP Bempeh said the drivers had been requested to provide documents indicating that they were not supposed to pay after they had paid in Accra.

He noted that under the constitution, the Police was mandated to protect the safety of people and public properties and would not countenance any act that would undermine their role.

During the riot, the Staff of LIZHASSAN Enterprise, the operator of the Bolgatanga Axle Load Weighing Station, locked themselves up in their office apparently to avoid a possible attack on them by the angry drivers.

Speaking to the GNA, the Managing Director, Mrs Elizabeth Alhassan Batong, said she had not violated any of the laws and conditions assigned by the Ghana Highway Authority to govern the operation of the Weighing Station.

She said what the drivers did on Monday, July 25, was a strategy adopted by some people in the region, to scare her to compromise and allow over loading on the road.

“If they have problems with me why don’t they report me to Ghana Highways Authority, who are the owners of the Weighing Station. I think what they did on Monday morning was a crime and under normal circumstances I will continue detaining them, so long as I continue to manage the Station,” Mrs Alhassan Baton said.

Mr Joe-Fred Peseo, Director in charge of Road Safety and Environment at the Ghana Highways Authority, in a telephone interview with the GNA said the Weighing Stations and the penalties slapped on drivers were all introduced to stop overloading on the country’s roads and that the various Axle Load Weighing Stations across the country, had been mandated by the Highways Authority to enforce the laws governing overloading to ensure that our roads last long.

Mr Peseo advised drivers and cargo owners to comply with the approved weight they were expected to carry, so that they are not detained.

“Road construction is expensive and when Government spends so much in constructing them, we as Ghanaians have a duty to ensure that no one’s activity destroys them before their life span, Mr Peseo said.

He advised drivers to stick to their mandated weights and should not be moved by a few extra monies, to over load their trucks, only to attract penalties on themselves.