Some commercial transport unions in the country –Transport Operators of Ghana, –have asked their colleagues to be wary of the promises being given by the Vice President and flag bearer of the NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, ahead of the December polls.
According to the operators, they cannot trust the Vice President due to his failure to fulfill any of the promises made to them, amid introduction of taxes that has made their work more difficult.
Their concerns come on the back of the Vice President’s assurance that his administration, if elected, will ensure the two-year renewal of driver’s license is extended to ten years.
Despite admitting that the policy is a good one, the drivers say they can’t trust the Vice President since he has not shown an iota of care for them.
They have advised Dr. Bawumia to do something about the challenges they are facing now by scraping some of the nuisance taxes his Economic Management Team has introduced on petroleum products to bring down the cost, and also fulfill some of the promises he made to them prior to the 2020 elections.
Find below the statement issued by the transport operators Tuesday, August 13, 2024.
Transport Operators of Ghana
13TH August, 2024
Press Statement for Immediate Release
Bawumia Cannot Be Trusted Over the Ten Year Renewal of Driver’s License
We have become aware of Vice President Mahamadu Bawumia’s promise to implement a policy that will allow for drivers license to be renewed only after ten years.
While we welcome the suggestion as a brilliant idea we have genuine cause to not just believe but to also state unequivocally that it is another bait to just win the votes of drivers because he has in times past exhibited glaring lack of concern for the plight of drivers.
It is of public knowledge that drivers in the country, particularly, commercial drivers are in deep shackles of suffering as a result of policies instituted by the NPP and by the same Bawumia’s led Economic Management Team.
It is the Bawumia’s governs that introduced the Sanitation and Pollution Levy(SPL) on petroleum products and several other taxes that are contributing to the continuous increment in fuel prices.
Under the same Akufo Addo/Bawumia’s government, the cost of acquiring, renewing and replacing of driver’s license and road worthy certificates have been increased astronomically.
It is also publicly known that prior to the 2020 elections the same Bawumia pledged electric vehicles that would have been purchased under hire for drivers but his government’s tenure is almost ending and not even a single electric vehicle has been procured for any driver.
Even recently, Dr Bawumia at the GPRTU executives elections which was held in Kasoa pledged to have the situation where vehicle owners pay penalties for road worthy certificate renewal for vehicles that went to the workshop dealt with swiftly. However, he appears to have completely forgotten the July 5 pledge.
The deception is stark and makes it obvious that he is only acting in a cunning manner to win the votes of drivers.
But just as the adage goes, ‘once bitten twice shy’ and so we wish to call on Bawumia to exercise his commitment by removing the taxes his government placed on petroleum products, reduce the acquisition cost of driving license, road worthy certificate and vehicle registration as well as honoring his 2020 pledge before gaslighting us with any new pledge.
We call on divers to be more vigilant about these promises being churned out by the vice president who is now leading the NPP into the 2020 elections and not to be swayed by same. Thank you
……….END……….
Sgd.
Paa Willie- Chairman, Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana(C-DAG)
0242971025
Yaw Barimah- Chairman, True Drivers Union
0554822565, 0500312104
David Agboado- PRO, Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana(C-DAG)
0541063682
Nana Wiredu- Deputy Secretary, Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana(C-DAG)
