Aflao, April 3, GNA - Mr Ben Peprah Amoabeng, National Chairman of the Progressive Transport Owners Association (PROTOA) on Thursday dismissed speculations that the government will disband the association for political reasons.

He said the assertion that PROTOA was pro New Patriotic Party while the older Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) leans toward the governing National Democratic Congress, was baseless. Mr Amoabeng who was leading a team of PROTOA members on a road safety campaign tour in the Volta Region was interacting with drivers at Anloga and Aflao on Thursday.

He reiterated that PROTOA and the GPRTU were non-partisan, saying they were purely transport unions contributing to the national economy. Mr Amoabeng said the new government had shown the willingness and the goodwill to work all transport unions including the PROTOA and asked members to remain law abiding.

"PROTOA will not be thrown out, it is not for the NPP and the GPRTU is also not for the NDC," Mr Amoabeng declared. He said some key members of the union would join others from sister unions on a tour of the United Kingdom, Canada and Brazil to understudy the mass transport system in those countries. The tour is the fourth of such programmes under a scheme initiated by the Department of Urban Roads.

Mr Amoabeng who is also an executive member of the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council expressed dismay at the spate of road accidents in the past few weeks and appealed to drivers to exercise restraint on the road. He asked them to avoid alcohol.

"Driving is an honourable job and I wish you follow regulations and road signs, just as a patient will follow prescriptions of a medical officer," he said. Mr Amoabeng told the members that the transport unions decided to keep transport fares at the present levels despite the recent rise in fuel prices. 03 April 09