Private transport unions protest over loading points of Metro busses

Agona Swedru (C/R), Dec. 20, GNA - The Agona Swedru branches of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and Progressive Transport Owners Association (PROTOA) are protesting against the way Metro Mass Transport (MMT) buses are allowed to pick passengers by the roadside while they are confined to the local lorry station. They have threatened to move from their lorry stations to load on the roadside if the MMT buses continued to load by the roadside. Mr Isaiah Otoo and Nana Yaw Fayah, Chairman of the GPRTU Agona Swedru /Accra and Central Regional Chairman PROTOA, respectively, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Swedru that the decision was intended to inform the Management of MMT the need to abide by the rules and regulations governing the driving profession. The decision to protest against MMT was taken at an emergency meeting by the two organizations at Swedru last weekend . Nana Fayah said the Executives of GPRTU and PROTOA had realised that the Management of MMT had flouted the laws, by loading close to the traffic lights on the Swedru - Oda road . He said they had made many complaints to the Personnel of Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) to help to solve the impasse but to no avail .

He said they had decided to move to the roadside within this week, the beginning of the Christmas activities to load because the MMT Management had cheated them for far too long. Nana Fayah noted that apart from loading close to the traffic lights, the buses also parked at the main entrance of the GPRTU and PROTOA lorry stations, which had created difficulties for their daily activities.

The Regional Protoa Chairman said the Agona District Assembly and MTTU personnel had directed them to buy paints to mark the no parking lots in the area so that drivers could not stop and load. He explained that though they bought the paints and the MTTU personnel and the Ghana Highways officials had marked all the no parking areas, yet the MMT buses stop there to load. He appealed to the Management of MMT to use the Mandela Park Terminal in the town, which the Agona District Assembly allocated to them to ensure peace and stability in the transport business in the area.