By Benjamin Asomah
Berekum, (Bono), Feb. 21, GNA – Nana Agyei Asamoah of the Berekum Municipal Branch of the Ghana Road and Transport Union (GPRTU) says the association is unprepared to relocate to a new site as directed by the authorities of the Berekum Municipal Assembly in the Bono Region.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview at Berekum, he described the directive as unjustified and unfair.
He said that relocation from the main Berekum station to the proposed site would slow down their economic activities.
His comments followed a directive by the city authorities, ordering the union to relocate to ease present vehicular and human traffic around the Berekum Central Business District enclave.
Nana Agyei justified that GPRTU was the first transport union, established in 1941, saying that the union’s immense contributions towards the development of the transport sector could not go unnoticed.
In that regard, he said the union was not in any position to take any hasty decision that would negatively impact the economic activities of the drivers.
He said: “In fact, we are the first transport operator and it’s because of our hard work that the main Berekum main lorry station has expanded and remains dominant.
“Now you are telling us to move to a new location, and we aren’t complying with that directive today or tomorrow.
Nana Agyei added: “The union has no intention to create and deepen any misunderstanding with the assembly officials.”
He maintained: “The growing congestion at the station isn’t caused by GPRTU”.
He explained that the union operated only eight designated loading points at the lorry station, and, besides, complied with the Assembly’s byelaws as well as the general regulations of the GPRTU.
Nana Agyei attributed the present congestion at the lorry station, partly to the growing and unscrupulous activities of the ‘loading boys’ as well as vehicles which parked and loaded passengers at unauthorised points in the enclave.
He said that situation was appalling because the loading boys and those vehicles obstructed traffic flow and called on the assembly to enforce its byelaws in ensuring that the deviant drivers did park and load passengers at the shoulders of the road, instead of ordering their relocation.
GNA
Edited by Dennis Peprah/Benjamin Mensah