The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) is pushing for the regulation of daily sales targets imposed on commercial drivers by vehicle owners, arguing that excessive financial demands may be contributing to speeding and reckless driving.
Director-General of the Authority, Abraham Amaliba, says some drivers are placed under intense pressure to make multiple trips because of the amounts they are expected to hand over to vehicle owners at the end of the day.
He believes regulating such demands could help address one of the less-discussed pressures influencing driver behaviour on Ghana’s roads.
Speaking during engagements with commercial drivers and transport union leaders in Accra, Mr Amaliba compared the proposed intervention to the regulation of rents.
“Just as our Rent Control regulates the rents, we need to also regulate how much a car owner can demand from his driver,” he said.
According to him, some vehicle owners set daily targets so high that drivers become desperate to complete more trips within limited periods.
“They sometimes peg the amount so high and that makes the drivers jittery because they need to go a number of rounds before they can make that money. That also leads to the accidents,” he said.
Mr Amaliba said the NRSA would advocate for regulation of the arrangement as part of wider efforts to improve safety within the commercial transport sector.
He, however, cautioned drivers against allowing financial pressure from vehicle owners to become a justification for dangerous driving.
“Their sales are not as important as they are themselves. Their lives are more important than sales,” he said.
The comments introduce a new dimension to discussions about road crashes involving commercial vehicles, which have traditionally focused largely on speeding, fatigue, drink-driving and disregard for road regulations.
The Authority is currently engaging drivers and transport unions as part of preparations for the Christmas season, when passenger and commercial activity traditionally increases.
