The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has stated it is powerless to stop certain commercial drivers from overcharging passengers, explaining that the perpetrators operate outside of any recognized transport union.
According to the union’s Deputy Public Relations Officer, Mr. Samuel Amoah, the responsibility for curbing this behavior lies squarely with the police.
He pointed out that by law, all commercial drivers are required to belong to a recognized union, and those operating independently should be arrested and prosecuted.
This response follows a recent spike in transport fares in several communities where heavy rains and flooding have disrupted normal travel.
Mr. Amoah admitted that the GPRTU investigated the sudden fare hikes, only to discover that the drivers taking advantage of the situation were non-unionized operators.
Speaking on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, he described the situation as deeply troubling and urged law enforcement to take immediate action against these floating drivers.
“This is not new. Some commercial drivers are fond of taking advantage of situations to charge unapproved fares. We have conducted investigations into these issues and found out that these drivers are not members of recognized unions. They are floating drivers, popularly called ‘waa waa fuo’.
The police are responsible for enforcing the law. Parliament in 2012 formulated a law that required commercial drivers to join recognized unions, and the police are supposed to enforce it. The police have failed at their job, and the number of floating drivers is increasing all the time.”
Mr. Amoah concluded by warning the drivers involved to halt the practice immediately, labeling the overcharging of passengers as both unlawful and fraudulent.
By:;Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana