The Chairman of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) at the Nungua Transport Terminal, Nii Akorsey Bortey II, has called on authorities to discipline leaders of the International Drivers Union (IDU) for their misconduct at the bus terminal.
In an interview with the media, the chairman said efforts by the GPRTU in Nungua to reach a consensus with the leaders of IDU regarding their activities have been futile. Nii Akorsey added that personnel of the IDU disrupt the activities of drivers registered with the GPRTU.
“All GPRTU drivers that use this station en route to their various destinations without the GPRTU sticker on their buses are manhandled by the IDU task force. Most of the time, they seize their cars and fine them without even letting us know.” The chairman added.
According to him, leaders of the IDU were once officials with the GPRTU in Nungua but disassociated themselves and created the International Drivers’ Union in 2022, after which these misunderstandings started.
The IDU task force is stationed just at the entrance of the Nungua bus terminal; hence, they have first access to commercial drivers before the GPRTU task force.
Information gathered showed that the rift between these two unions has been reported to the Krowor Municipal Assembly and discussed by the Nungua Traditional Council.
Their intervention resulted in a split in routes between the unions. The International Drivers Union received 22 routes, while the GPRTU received 12. However, there was a demand from the IDU that they be given Ashaiman as an additional route. This aggravated the long-standing conflict.
The opening of the terminal in 2019 gave commercial drivers a well-designated and safe avenue to operate from and provided a source of revenue for the Krowor Assembly.
This is no longer the case, as some commercial drivers have refused to use the terminal to avoid being wrongfully taxed by the IDU.
In a conversation with some drivers, they expressed dissatisfaction at the rivalry between the GPRTU and IDU at the terminal, as they, as drivers, are always disadvantaged. In view of this, some drivers have decided to convert bus stops along that stretch into loading points.
The vice chairman of GPRTU, Joseph Ababio, has commended police officials who arrest such commercial drivers, and he is hopeful that it will be a deterrent to other drivers.
The news team’s effort to reach out to the International Drivers Union (IDU) to ascertain the veracity of the story has proven futile.
