Commercial drivers in Wa have not joined strike action

Drivers at the Wa main lorry station are operating normally despite the strike embarked on by their counterparts in other parts of country.

The drivers have, however, appealed to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to abandon its plan to implement the seat-belt regulation to avoid a further deterioration of the transport situation nationwide.

In addition to the seat-belt policy, the DVLA is also demanding that all commercial drivers would be required to possess a minimum of Junior High School (JHS) education before they would be issued with drivers' licenses.

The drivers complained that most of them had not had any formal education and therefore, it would be difficult for them to abide by the policies the DVLA intends to introduce.

“Many of us will be jobless if the regulation is enforced”, they explained.

Mr. Imoro Ayaana, a Station Master at the Wa Lorry Station said many of the drivers had driven for several years without any formal education but that did not affect their output.

The drivers appeal to the DVLA and the Ministry of Transport to reconsider their decision about drivers who had not gained any formal education.

On the issue of seat-belt, the drivers said seats for their buses were manufactured locally and did not make room for seat-belt.

They explained that it would be difficult for them to improvise seat-belts in their vehicles considering the high cost involved.

Alhaji Nuhu Abdulai, a driver, said the DVLA was about to create an opportunity for police to exploit drivers and make the cost of running their business high.

Mr. Martey Jonathan, a Deputy Upper West Regional Manager at the DVLA said the seat-belt regulation would be implemented in December 2015.

The GNA, however, could not reach the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) executives to take their comments on the issue.